éléments par Wayne Williams

In February, Microsoft announced Microsoft Threat Experts, a new service within Microsoft 365 Security designed to better protect businesses. Today, the software giant extends its endpoint protection platform to Mac, and in keeping with that move renames the Windows Defender ATP platform to Microsoft Defender ATP. Microsoft’s new user interface on Mac is similar to what’s offered on Windows 10 devices and delivers full antivirus and threat protection and the ability to launch full, quick, and custom scans. Eric Avena from the Microsoft Tech Community, explains: Today, we’re announcing our advances in cross-platform next-generation protection and endpoint detection and response… [Continue Reading]

Yesterday, Microsoft rolled out Windows 10 19H1 Build 18361 to the Fast ring, and today it follows that up with Build 18362 which fixes a couple of problems. In addition, the software giant has released Build 18860 for the 20H1 branch of Windows 10, which is planned for release early next year. SEE ALSO: New 'Get Windows 10' nag screen arrives in Windows 7 Microsoft releases Windows 10 19H1 Build 18361 to the Fast ring Microsoft starts testing Android screen mirroring on Windows 10 Confused about what Windows 10 test builds are in which Insider ring? There's an easy way… [Continue Reading]

When it was revealed a week ago that Microsoft would once again start nagging Windows 7 users into upgrading to Windows 10, there was a collective sigh of annoyance from devotees of the older OS who have lived through this sort of thing before. This time though, Microsoft appears to have learned its lesson. Not only does the software giant have a valid reason for the popup notifications -- Windows 7 is nearing the end of its life -- but these alerts are optional, and gentler -- there’s no being tricked into upgrading to Windows 10 this time around (at… [Continue Reading]

Apple’s AirPods are quite funny looking things, especially when being worn, but despite this the iPhone maker's wireless headphones have proven to be wildly popular. Following on from rolling out new iPads and refreshing its iMac range earlier in the week, Apple today announces the second generation of its AirPods with a new Apple-designed H1 chip that promises better performance, faster connections, and up to 50 percent more talk time. In addition, the new devices deliver hand’s free "Hey Siri" support, making it easier to change songs, make a call, adjust the volume, or get directions just by communicating your… [Continue Reading]

It’s Tuesday, so that means Microsoft is rolling out a new Windows 10 build for Insiders on the Fast ring. We’re edging ever closer to the next big feature update’s release next month, so Build 18361 is all about fixing problems and making general improvements. SEE ALSO: Microsoft releases Windows 10 19H1 Build 18358 to the Fast ring Microsoft starts testing Android screen mirroring on Windows 10 Changes in this build are few but include: Fixed an issue preventing certain VMs from being able to install or update Windows Insider Preview builds -- the VM would hang on the black… [Continue Reading]

Do you own a Kodi box? The open source home theater software runs on all manner of hardware, from Windows, Mac and Linux systems, to Kodi boxes and the Amazon Fire TV Stick. All of the many devices running Kodi have one thing in common though -- they aren’t official Kodi products, and they haven’t been made or licensed by the Kodi Foundation. SEE ALSO: The Kodi Foundation joins the Linux Foundation In a bid to put the record straight, Cris Silva (h.udo) over on the Kodi website stresses that not only does the Kodi Foundation not sell hardware, it… [Continue Reading]

The Kodi Foundation has long been a supporter of open source software and today the developer announces that it has joined the Linux Foundation as an Associate Member. The Linux Foundation is a non-profit consortium dedicated to fostering the growth of Linux and open source in general, and providing support for the open source community as well as sponsoring Linux creator Linus Torvalds, and maintaining the linux.com website. Explaining Kodi’s reason for joining the Linux Foundation, Cris Silva (h.udo) says: We strongly believe that open-source is the best way to achieve awesome things. That was and still is what moves… [Continue Reading]

Google will be holding a keynote at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco shortly, where it is widely expected that the search giant will take the wraps off its new cloud gaming platform. Google says it will be revealing its "vision for the future of gaming" at the event and you can watch the announcement here, live, as it unfolds. As a forerunner, the company’s Project Stream allowed users to play Assassin’s Creed Odyssey in Chrome, with the game running on a nearby data center server. Its gaming platform could take this idea and expand on it. Certainly… [Continue Reading]

Apple’s online store partially closed down earlier today, suggesting new products were about to be released, even though no one was really expecting anything, given there’s a big Apple event happening next week. It turns out that Apple does indeed have new hardware to share -- refreshed versions of both its 10.5-inch iPad Air and the 7.9-inch iPad mini. The all-new iPad Air with ultra-thin 10.5-inch design comes with Apple Pencil support and an A12 Bionic chip with Apple’s Neural Engine that can deliver a 70 percent boost in performance and twice the graphics capability. According to Apple, the advanced… [Continue Reading]

If you attempt to visit a bad site in Firefox or Chrome, your browser will often warn you, so you can decide whether or not to take the risk and continue to your destination. Microsoft has joined the fight to prevent users unwittingly visiting bad sites by creating new extensions for Google and Mozilla’s browsers which automatically redirect users from untrusted sites to Windows Defender Application Guard for Microsoft Edge. SEE ALSO: Microsoft releases Windows 10 19H1 Build 18358 to the Fast ring This is how it works: When users navigate to a site, the extension checks the URL against… [Continue Reading]

As we enter the final stretch for the next big feature update of Windows 10, Microsoft is rolling out new builds for Insiders to test at a much faster rate. The latest new flight, the second of the week, is Build 18358, and as you’d expect the focus now is on fixing bugs and improving the user experience. SEE ALSO: Microsoft releases Windows 10 19H1 Build 18356 to the Fast ring Microsoft starts testing Android screen mirroring on Windows 10 General changes, improvements, and fixes in this build include: FOR GAMERS: Microsoft has addressed an issue with Game Mode that… [Continue Reading]

A couple of days ago, Spotify filed a complaint against Apple with the European Commission (EC), the regulatory body responsible for keeping competition fair and nondiscriminatory. It claimed the tech giant has, over the past few years, "introduced rules to the App Store that purposely limit choice and stifle innovation at the expense of the user experience -- essentially acting as both a player and referee to deliberately disadvantage other app developers". Understandably, Apple is none too happy with Spotify’s claims, and today hits back, addressing the music streaming service's key grievances. The full, and lengthy statement reads as follows:… [Continue Reading]

Yesterday, Microsoft rolled out Windows 10 Build 18356 for Insiders on the 19H1 branch and today it follows it up with a new 20H1 build for those testers in the Skip Ahead ring. As a reminder, builds from the 20H1 branch are for the version of Windows 10 due out in a year’s time. There’s still nothing major to get excited about in this latest flight, Build 18855, just a number of changes and improvements. These include: Notepad now automatically restores unsaved content when Windows restarts for updates. Enabled microphone in Windows Sandbox, which among other things will improve several… [Continue Reading]

It’s Tuesday, which usually signals the arrival of a new Windows 10 build for Insiders, and right on cue here comes Build 18356 for the Fast ring. With the next big feature update expected to begin its rollout next month, the focus here is naturally on fixing problems, but Android-owning Insiders can also look forward to using the You Phone app’s latest feature -- screen mirroring. SEE ALSO: Confused about what Windows 10 test builds are in which Insider ring? There's an easy way to find out Microsoft will pester Windows 7 users to upgrade to Windows 10 with pop-up… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft first introduced its Your Phone app late last year, and Windows Insiders running a 19H1 build can now try out a brand new feature -- screen mirroring. This new addition lets users mirror an Android phone’s screen directly on a Windows 10 PC, but -- as you might expect -- this feature isn’t available to all. SEE ALSO: Confused about what Windows 10 test builds are in which Insider ring? There's an easy way to find out Microsoft will pester Windows 7 users to upgrade to Windows 10 with pop-up notifications Windows 10 will automatically uninstall problematic updates Windows… [Continue Reading]

BetaNews has what we like to call a rather rowdy comments section. Any post to do with Windows 7 and Windows 10 usually sparks a commenting war that can run for weeks and get very heated at times. We’re far from alone here though. Plenty of sites have similarly unruly comments sections, and the situation has got so bad that a growing number of popular websites have turned off commenting altogether, which is a shame. While most sites let you flag bad comments or block people you don’t want to hear from, this isn’t always the perfect solution. Now though,… [Continue Reading]

Your home can be bad for your health. Not only do more accidents happen in the house than anywhere else, but the quality of the air you breathe can cause health issues, with allergens, dust, pet hair, and other tiny debris to worry about. An air purifier can clean up the air around you, monitoring pollution and filtering it out. Coway make a number of such purifiers and four of the top models are on sale at Wellbots right now, and BetaNews readers can make even greater savings. The prices for the following models are currently reduced by more than… [Continue Reading]

Cyber risk is a fast-growing enterprise risk, not just an IT risk. Yet seldom is guidance provided as to what this means. This ebook is the first to tackle in detail those enterprise-wide capabilities expected by Board, CEO and Internal Audit, of the diverse executive management functions that need to team up with the Information Security function in order to provide integrated solutions. With actionable guidance and expert perspective for real-world cybersecurity, you will: Learn how cyber risk management can be integrated to better protect your enterprise Design and benchmark new and improved practical counter-cyber capabilities Examine planning and implementation… [Continue Reading]

Windows Insider builds for the next big feature update of Windows 10 are coming thick and fast now, with the focus on fixing bugs and improving performance. Today Windows 10 19H1 Build 18353 arrives on the Fast ring with quite a long list of fixes -- including many for Windows Sandbox -- and a dwindling amount of known issues. SEE ALSO: Windows 10 is now on more than 800 million devices Google recommends upgrading to Windows 10 to avoid unpatched Windows 7 zero-day that's being actively exploited Speed up Windows 10 with the Retpoline Spectre fix Confused about what Windows… [Continue Reading]

The Windows Insider program is a mess. It used to be as an Insider you got to test just early versions of the next big OS feature update, but now -- depending on which ring you’re in -- you might be testing versions for the first Windows 10 update of 2020, due out over a year from now. As if that’s not bad enough, Fast ring Insiders are currently receiving new builds at a rate of two a week -- which hardly provides enough time to install and test them -- while Slow ring Insiders get only very occasional updates.… [Continue Reading]

Not many Windows 10 users have upgraded to the October 2018 Update yet, but Microsoft is still hard at work on finishing the next big feature update, codenamed 19H1, which is due out next month. New builds are coming out thick and fast, and today sees the release of Build 18351 to Fast ring Insiders. As is to be expected this close to release, there are no new features in this build, but it does come with the following general changes, improvements and fixes: If you haven’t been able to get the game State of Decay for free (for a… [Continue Reading]

There are lots of ways to measure Windows share including StatCounter and Steam. Like most other tech sites, BetaNews has always focused on NetMarketShare, and at the start of the year the analyst firm finally reported that Windows 10 had overtaken its main rival, Windows 7 (a move that was a long time coming seeing as others had reported this happening months earlier). In January, the new OS consolidated its lead, but in February things were far less rosy for Windows 10. SEE ALSO: Most Windows 10 users still haven't installed the October 2018 Update Forget Linux -- Here's how… [Continue Reading]

The idea behind the Windows Insider program is members get to test out preview versions of forthcoming Windows 10 builds. However, quite how much actual testing can get done when the builds are rolling out thick and fast is a matter for debate. Windows 10 Build 18348 is the second 19H1 build to be rolled out this week, and the fourth build in total, when you factor in Slow and Skip Ahead releases. If it's Microsoft's aim to confuse people, the software giant is doing a bang up job here. New to this build is the Emoji 12.0 update which… [Continue Reading]

Being a Windows Insider can be very confusing these days. It used to be there was only one Windows 10 preview version to test -- the next feature update of the OS -- but now there are Skip Ahead flights rolling out which let users test versions of Windows 10 that won’t see the light of day for another year. Crazy. On Tuesday Microsoft released Windows 10 19H1 Build 18346 to the Fast ring, and today we get Windows 10 20H1 Build 18845 for Skip Ahead Insiders. To access this build you will need to have opted in to Skip… [Continue Reading]

The Windows 10 October 2018 Update has been a disaster for Microsoft. It caused all manner of problems for users, so much so that Microsoft had to pull it for a while, and even though the update has now been cleared for use on most systems, hardly any users have it. The software giant will be hoping its follow up, Windows 10 19H1, due out in the spring, will be much more successful, and it has been rolling out new Insider builds at an accelerated rate this past week. SEE ALSO: Most Windows 10 users still haven't installed the October… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft is currently working to finish the next big feature update for Windows 10, codenamed 19H1, which is due to begin rolling out in April. The trouble is, most users still haven’t installed its predecessor, the often problematic October 2018 Update (aka Windows 10 1809). SEE ALSO: Most people are still avoiding the Windows 10 October 2018 Update According to the latest figures from AdDuplex, in February, just 21.2 percent of Windows 10 users worldwide had the newest update installed. The number has almost doubled from the 12.4 percent who were running it in January, but it still means only… [Continue Reading]

Nostalgia is a powerful thing. The 1990s are popular at the moment -- as the new 90s-set Captain Marvel movie shows -- and Windows 95 is suddenly making a comeback of sorts, partially fueled by people's interest in that decade. If you’ve ever wondered what a modern version of the OS would look like, you can find out here, and you can now run an app version of the original Windows 95 on Windows 10, macOS and Linux. Own an iPhone? You can replace iOS 12 with iOS95 -- here's how. SEE ALSO: Developer launches new version of Windows 95… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft is currently hard at work finishing off the next big feature update for Windows 10, codenamed 19H1. This is due out in a couple of months’ time, and will be followed by 19H2, out in the Fall. Insiders who opted into the Skip Ahead branch (if you missed your chance to join the ring before it closed, follow these instructions to gain access) are likely expecting to receive builds from the 19H2 branch, but surprisingly today Microsoft is rolling out Build 18836 from the future 20H1 development branch. SEE ALSO: Forget Linux -- Here's how to install Windows 10… [Continue Reading]

The official way to install a version of Microsoft’s latest operating system on a Raspberry Pi is to use Windows 10 IoT, but that’s a stripped down version and a far cry from the Windows 10 we know and love/hate (delete as applicable). Microsoft makes a version of Windows 10 that runs on ARM processors, and there’s now an unofficial Windows On ARM tool that lets you install that OS on the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B or B+. Apart from the installer itself, which you can download from here, you will need a copy of Windows 10 for ARM,… [Continue Reading]

Yesterday, the Kodi Foundation rolled out a release candidate for Kodi 18.1, the first update for the newest version of its popular home theater software. If you’ve been having problems with Kodi 18, then you’ll want to grab this as it comes with a long list of fixes and improvements. SEE ALSO: Kodi 18.1 'Leia' RC now available to download Kodi 18.1 'Leia' RC promises the following changes: Speed up Player and Playlists operations with JSON-RPC Define a senseful default value for advanced settings 'updateemptytagsinterval' Revert edge case crash fix that caused DVDs to be not recognized on macOS Remove… [Continue Reading]

It’s been two weeks since the Kodi Foundation rolled out the official stable release of Kodi 18 'Leia', the latest iteration of its hugely popular home theater software. Kodi 18 offers lots of big changes, including a new Games area, updated and improved PVR backend clients, and a redesigned Music section. It's great, but if you’ve been having problems with the software, the latest update -- Kodi 18.1 RC -- might fix them for you. SEE ALSO: Kodi 18 'Leia' is officially available -- download it NOW! As the name suggests, this is a release candidate for 18.1, so it… [Continue Reading]

Insider builds for the next feature update of Windows 10 are rolling out on a weekly basis, and while much of the emphasis is on usability and bug squashing, Microsoft is still adding functionality to the OS. In Build 18334, released today, the focus is on gaming improvements, and Insiders get the chance to play State of Decay for free. There is a catch though. SEE ALSO: Use this sneaky trick to get access to Windows 10 19H2 Skip Ahead builds If you’re interested in playing the game for free (for a limited time only) you’ll need to sign up… [Continue Reading]

Most Windows Insiders choose to be on the Fast ring, as they get to test new features when they arrive. The more cautious Insiders might choose to be on the Slow or Release Preview rings. For those who want to be on the bleeding edge, however, there’s the Skip Ahead ring, which lets Insiders go from the current preview (in this case 19H1 -- the April 2018 Update) to the next one (19H2 -- the October 2019 Update). Microsoft reopened the Skip Ahead ring a week ago, but as always there were limited places for it, and it closed a… [Continue Reading]

Under Yahoo, Flickr gave free users a whopping 1TB of storage for their photos, but new owner SmugMug was never going to be as generous. Three months ago the site announced its free plan would be changing, and non-paying users would be limited to storing a maximum of 1,000 photos online. The cutoff for users to download their images or risk losing them forever was yesterday, February 5, but there’s some good news for anyone who failed to take action prior to then, as well as those who found themselves struggling to complete the export by the deadline as a… [Continue Reading]

Mastering Linux Security and Hardening is a comprehensive guide to preventing your Linux system from getting compromised. This book from Packt Publishing has extensive coverage of techniques that will help prevent attackers from breaching your system, by building a much more secure Linux environment. This ebook will help you: Use various techniques to prevent intruders from accessing sensitive data Prevent intruders from planting malware, and detect whether malware has been planted Prevent insiders from accessing data that they aren’t authorized to access Do quick checks to see whether a computer is running network services that it doesn’t need to run… [Continue Reading]

Another week, another new Windows 10 build rolls out to Insiders on the Fast ring (although not for users in certain parts of the world -- more on this later). Although we’re edging closer to 19H1’s official release, Build 18329 sill manages to introduce a couple of new features. First up is 'Top apps' in Search. When you open Search you’ll now see your most frequently used apps listed at the top, so you can just launch the one you want (see image above). In this build you can now also run Desktop (Win32 apps) in Windows Mixed Reality. Microsoft… [Continue Reading]

While other analyst firms, such as StatCounter, had Windows 10 overtaking Windows 7 sometime ago, it took until the end of December 2018 for NetMarketShare to show the new OS overtaking its predecessor. With NetMarketShare’s figures, which show usage share, there was always the danger that Windows 7 might regain the lead (albeit temporarily) in January, but that never happened and Windows 10 is now comfortably ahead. SEE ALSO: Windows 10 finally overtakes Windows 7 The latest numbers show Windows 10 has 40.90 percent, up from 39.22 percent in December. That’s a mighty increase of 1.68 percentage points. In the… [Continue Reading]

Even the staunchest Microsoft supporter has to admit that the Windows 10 October 2018 Update, aka Windows 10 1809, was something of a disaster. It caused multiple problems for users, including deleting personal data, and even after Microsoft pulled the update and fixed some problems, more issues surfaced once it was re-released. It took until the middle of January for the update to start its phased rollout, three months after its initial release, so it should come as no surprise to hear that comparatively few Windows 10 users are running it. SEE ALSO: Microsoft cripples Windows Media Player on Windows… [Continue Reading]

The Kodi Foundation pushed out the fifth and final Release Candidate of Kodi 18 two weeks ago, and after some minor bug fixes and improvements, the hugely popular cross-platform home theater software is finally judged ready for prime time. If you’ve been waiting patiently for the official stable release of the new Kodi, the great news is you can download it now. The developers have yet to announce the news, but the software is ready to download from the site, and you can check out the changelog here. As you might expect, there have been a lot of changes made… [Continue Reading]

With iOS 12, much of Apple’s focus was on performance, but there were also updates to Siri, key apps, ARKit 2, Animoji, Memoji and much more. We won’t get our first official look at its successor, iOS 13, for a few months yet, but if you’d like to see how it should look, we’ve got this stunning video to wow you. It takes everything we like about iOS 12, but improves on it. This concept video comes from YouTuber Kamer Kaan Avdan, who has previously created similar videos for updated versions of Windows 95, Windows XP and Windows 7, among… [Continue Reading]

This week’s new Windows 10 19H1 build was slightly delayed due to an outage in Microsoft’s build publishing system which meant it took a few hours to begin rolling out to Insiders on the Fast ring. Build 18323 includes improved RAW image format support and a better Light Theme, as well as a large number of fixes. SEE ALSO: This is the redesigned File Explorer that Windows 10 should have Download the Raw Image Extension (Beta) package from the Microsoft Store and you’ll be able to view image thumbnails, previews, and camera metadata of previously unsupported RAW files directly in… [Continue Reading]

Although there are lots of office suites to choose from, including plenty of free offerings, Microsoft Office remains the most popular choice. For Mac users, previously the only way to get Microsoft Office was by going to Microsoft's website and downloading it from there. Now though, Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and the whole suite of Microsoft’s popular apps are available to download directly from the Mac App Store. The apps are all available for free, but you’ll need an Office 365 subscription to do everything you need to. Users can purchase a subscription for Office 365 from within the… [Continue Reading]

Windows 10 is a decent operating system, but it’s not exactly attractive. Microsoft is attempting to spice things up a little with its Fluent Design language, but it’s never going to deliver the "Wow" factor. File Explorer is one of the blander elements of Windows 10, but a brand new concept shows us what it could look like. SEE ALSO: This redesigned Windows 10 Start menu is a big improvement Forget buggy Windows 10, Windows 11 is the operating system we want Windows 7 -- 2018 Edition is the Microsoft operating system you've been waiting for Would you swap Windows… [Continue Reading]

Indie open-source startup Whitewater Foundry debuted WLinux for WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) four months ago. This new, open source Linux distribution, based on Debian stable, was specially optimized for WSL. Now the company is back with a 'remix' of the popular Fedora Linux distribution for WSL that can be installed directly from the Microsoft Store. Fedora Remix for WSL brings Fedora Linux distribution-specific tools, the DNF package manager, and access to the Fedora Linux distribution package repositories to WSL, as well as easy access to additional packages available on the COPR, EPEL, and RPM Fusion repositories. Explaining its latest… [Continue Reading]

Chromebooks have found a welcoming home in the education section, muscling in on what has traditionally been Windows territory. Naturally, Microsoft is fighting back, and at this year’s annual BETT conference in London, it announced that 1 million Windows 10 devices are being used by students in K-12 and higher education every month. The software giant also took the opportunity to introduce a raft of new Windows 10 devices aimed at students, including two brand new 2-in1 devices from Acer and Lenovo that are priced from under $300. Making the announcement, Microsoft says: With Windows 10 devices, schools can get… [Continue Reading]

It was very easy to change the system font in Windows 7 and Windows 8.x, but in Windows 10 you’re stuck with Segoe UI. It’s not a bad choice, but if you have a favorite font -- Comic Sans! -- then wouldn’t it be great if you could deploy that across the entire operating system? Well, actually you can. You just need to do some registry tweaking. SEE ALSO: Windows 10 October 2018 Update finally starts its phased rollout -- here's how to block it How to view Wi-Fi passwords in Windows If you’re not sure which font to use,… [Continue Reading]

The Windows 10 October 2018 update, aka Windows 10 version 1809, aka the botched update that deleted user files, caused default app issues, broke Apple iCloud, Edge, and Windows Store apps, and introduced a bunch of other problems, is finally rolling out to all -- well most -- users. The update was first released at the start of last October, but then pulled a few days later when the scale of its problems become noticed. It was re-released in November, with a bunch of new problems. Microsoft has been working to fix these, and last month made 1809 available to… [Continue Reading]

Typical penetration testing consists of low-level hackers attacking a system with a list of known vulnerabilities, and defenders preventing those hacks using an equally well-known list of defensive scans. The professional hackers and nation states on the forefront of today's threats operate at a much more complex level -- and this book shows you how to defend your high security network, including: Using targeted social engineering pretexts to create the initial compromise Leaving a command and control structure in place for long-term access Escalating privilege and breach networks, operating systems, and trust structures Infiltrating further using harvested credentials while expanding control From discovering and… [Continue Reading]

New Windows 10 19H1 builds are coming thick and fast at the moment. With some builds the focus is just on fixing problems and making general improvements, but Insider Preview Build 18317 for Windows Insiders on the Fast ring is notable mainly because Search and Cortana are no longer linked. Yes, that’s right -- instead of being part of the search bar, Cortana’s button now sits to the right of it. SEE ALSO: Windows 10 has a built-in free screen recorder that you might not know about Future versions of Windows 10 will reserve 7GB of storage to prevent big… [Continue Reading]

It took until last month for Windows 10 to finally overtake Windows 7's usage share but the older OS remains hugely popular. Mainstream support for Windows 7 stopped in January 2015, but users have continued to receive security fixes and patches for known issues as part of Microsoft's extended support, which runs for five years. However, that's due to come to an end on January 14 2020, exactly one year from today. The cessation of support could prove a nightmare for enterprises, as according to a new 'Death of Windows 7' report from content delivery firm, Kollective, as many as… [Continue Reading]

The full release of Kodi 18 is still likely a couple of weeks away, but today the kodi Foundation releases the fifth and (what should be) final release candidate. RC5 comes with a number of important fixes. Notable changes include: Correctly redact user/password in certain cases Fix window transparency on Android that might cause grey bars on HDR playback Prevent crash when resuming audiobook when there's no chapter present Fix crash&burn by ensuring that Abort of ScriptObserver waits for thread exit Fix regression from RC4 regarding "don't disable gui rendering when losing focus" on OSX Workaround double switching of refreshrate because… [Continue Reading]

We’re only nine days into 2019, and Microsoft is rolling out the second 19H1 build of the new year to Insiders on the Fast ring. Build 18312 gives users access to the new 'reserved storage' feature which we covered yesterday. This reserves around 7GB of storage on Windows 10 systems to guarantee day-to-day smooth running, and also to ensure that large updates don't fail on systems with limited free space. To try it out though, you will need to run through this quest which will give you access to it in the next flight. If you run the quest before… [Continue Reading]

Previous feature updates for Windows 10 tended to fail if you didn’t have enough free storage for the task. The onus was on users to free up the required space manually before the update could go ahead, but that’s about to change. In the next big feature update, version 1903 (codenamed 19H1), due out in the spring, Windows 10 will automatically reserve enough space to ensure the update can complete without problems. This might be 7GB, but it could be more, "based on how you use your device". This 'reserved storage' won’t be used exclusively for big updates though, it… [Continue Reading]

Yubico offers a selection of security keys that can protect your data and which work with a growing number of popular apps and websites. They can replace passwords, or provide easy -- and strong -- two-factor authentication (2FA). Today at CES, Yubico revealed a private preview of YubiKey for Lightning, bringing the company’s physical token authentication to iPhones for the first time Wondering why it has taken so long for Yubico to support iOS? The company says that historically Apple’s mobile operating system has presented its developers with "some challenges", but it’s finally managed to surmount those. It received approval… [Continue Reading]

The next big feature update for Windows 10 will offer tweaked visuals, but most people probably won’t notice the difference. It’s all about evolution rather than revolution with Microsoft these days. If you are hoping for a more modern Start menu then you’re going to have to look beyond Redmond for that, and a brand new concept shows us just what the tiled menu could look like. SEE ALSO: Forget buggy Windows 10, Windows 11 is the operating system we want Windows 7 -- 2018 Edition is the Microsoft operating system you've been waiting for Would you swap Windows 10… [Continue Reading]

According to AdDuplex, the problematic October 2018 Update is currently on just 6.6 percent of all Windows 10 PCs. It’s doubled its share since November, but still pales in comparison to the April 2018 Update which is on 83.6 percent of systems. Despite this, Microsoft is hard at work on the next big feature update, expected this spring, and has just rolled out the first build of 2019 for Insiders on the Fast ring. SEE ALSO: Python for Windows 10 now available from the Microsoft Store Updating from Windows 10 1803 to 1809 could disable the built-in administrator account Windows… [Continue Reading]

Python is a great programming language. It’s powerful, yet easy to learn, and comes preinstalled on most Linux distributions. It’s more of a pain to get it on Windows though, as Microsoft’s OS doesn’t include a native Python installation. However, Windows 10 users can now download an official Python package from the Microsoft Store. SEE ALSO: Windows 10 finally overtakes Windows 7 This Store version of Python 3.7 from the Python Software Foundation can be used for running scripts, packages and using IDLE or other development environments. However, Store app restrictions prevent Python scripts from gaining full write access to… [Continue Reading]

It’s been a long time coming. While other analyst firms, such as StatCounter, have shown Windows 10 overtaking Windows 7 sometime ago, NetMarketShare has consistently shown the new OS to be lagging way behind the aging fan favorite. In December though, NetMarketShare finally has Windows 10 taking pole position. According to its numbers, Windows 10 gained 1.08 percentage points in that month to give it 39.22 percent share. In the same time frame, Windows 7 lost a sizable 1.99 percentage points at the close of 2018, dropping to 36.90 percent. That means Windows 10 is now an impressive 2.32 percentage… [Continue Reading]

If you were expecting the full and final release of Kodi 18 to arrive before the end of 2018, you’re going to be disappointed as it's now scheduled for very early 2019. However, the Kodi Foundation has rolled out the fourth and final release candidate today which should tide you over nicely until then. SEE ALSO: LibreELEC 9.0 Beta 1 Linux distro (based on Kodi 18 'Leia' RC3) now available New Kodi 18 'Leia' Release Candidate (RC3) available to download now! The focus of RC4, of course, is on fixing bugs and ironing out remaining issues. The most notable changes… [Continue Reading]

If you’re not all spent out for Christmas, and fancy treating yourself to a great product with a substantial discount, then Wellbots has put together not one, but two deals especially for BetaNews readers. As you might expect, both products will ship after Christmas now, but should arrive before the holiday period ends. The Neato D7 Robot Vacuum can make short work of post-party mess and comes with 5GHz Wi-Fi built-in and an exclusive D-shape design, with CornerClever technology to help track down dirt in corners and along walls. The cleaner’s advanced spiral combo brush efficiently captures small particles, allergen,… [Continue Reading]

It’s a fair bet that we’d never have heard of Facebook, Instagram, Google and WhatsApp if the internet hadn’t been invented, but London-based graphic designer Thomas Ollivier has put his skills into re-imagining how some of today’s top tech brands might have looked in the pre-internet days of the 1980s. The collection of images, which he’s titled Re:Birth, provides a fun glimpse into how technology has changed in the past 30 years. And boy has it changed. SEE ALSO: Forget buggy Windows 10, Windows 11 is the operating system we want As spotted by Metro, the collection of images includes… [Continue Reading]

It’s nearly Christmas, and Microsoft has rolled out a brand new build of Windows 10 19H1, the last of 2018, with plenty of exciting treats for users to try out. Build 18305 for Fast ring insiders, introduces a number of improvements and new features, including a simplified Start layout and Windows Sandbox. SEE ALSO: Microsoft has made a free Office app for Windows 10 Microsoft announces Windows Sandbox, a desktop environment for running applications in isolation Microsoft says Windows 10 October 2018 Update now fully available for 'advanced users' Red Hat Enterprise Linux comes to Windows 10 in the form… [Continue Reading]

Although there are plenty of office suites available, including lots of free choices, Microsoft Office remains the one that most people use. Today, Microsoft rolls out a new app for Windows 10 called, simply, Office, which is designed to replace the existing My Office app. The app itself is free and can be used with any Office 365 subscription, Office 2019, Office 2016, and Office Online -- the free web-based version of Office for consumers. It’s not available for all users at the moment. You’ll need to be a Windows Insider if you want to get your hands on it… [Continue Reading]

The many problems relating to the Windows 10 October 2018 Update are well known. Shortly after it was originally released, back in October, reports started to filter through that the OS update was deleting user files. Microsoft pulled the update, and then re-released a fixed version six weeks later, but additional problems surfaced. Microsoft suggested at the time -- as it always does -- that users wait until offered the update before installing it, but now says that it is fully available to advanced users. But what is an 'advanced user' in this context? Announcing the wider availability, Microsoft says:… [Continue Reading]

We are edging ever closer to the full and final release of the next major version of Kodi, codenamed Leia. Coming two weeks after RC2 arrived, the third release candidate drops today. Work is now underway on RC4, which does mean the full release likely won’t occur until January. There’s no official breakdown on what changes RC3 brings, although at this point the focus is on squashing bugs and improving performance. You can explore the list of commits on the GitHub repository here: RC3 changes. We’ll update this post once the Kodi Foundation provides its usual bullet list of changes.… [Continue Reading]

If you want to shoot high quality photos and videos from up high, the DJI Mavic 2 is one of the best, most advanced drones you can buy. The drone comes with a 4K camera and 3-axis gimbal technology for super stable and smooth shooting. The DJI Mavic 2 Zoom model is equipped with a 2 x optical zoom camera, while the DJI Mavic 2 Pro features an amazing all-new L1D-20c Hasselblad camera. Both drones are fairly pricey -- the DJI Mavic 2 Pro retails for $1499, and the DJI Mavic 2 Zoom is $1249 -- but you really do… [Continue Reading]

Windows 10 is a very good operating system, but the October 2018 Update has left a bad taste in many users' mouths. It caused a multitude of problems, got pulled, and even after it was made available again, new issues surfaced. The April 2018 Update rolled out to users at lightning speed, but the October 2018 Update has only been installed on about 3 percent of systems to date. Ouch. Microsoft has said previously that Windows 10 will be the "last version of Windows", but is it time to rethink that idea and give users an operating system that goes… [Continue Reading]

Although the Windows 10 October 2018 Update is still only trickling out to users (AdDupex says as of the end of November under 3 percent of users have it installed), Microsoft is hard at work on the follow up due out next spring. The latest Windows 10 19H1 Insider preview Build for Insiders in the Fast ring offers a number of new changes including File Explorer and Start menu improvements, and Notepad updates. File Explorer gains a new icon which is designed to work better with 19H1’s new Light theme. Also, when you download items, a new sorting approach will… [Continue Reading]

The iPad remains by far and away the most popular tablet, with Apple securing 34.9 percent market share this year, up from 29.9 percent in 2017. The iPad is one of the few tablets to enjoy any kind of growth this year -- the market as a whole was down 13.5 percent during the second quarter of 2018. Apple’s tablet is therefore the obvious target for any rival companies to aim for, and Microsoft has really gone on the attack with a new holiday ad for Surface Go. The ad, which you can watch below, features a ten-year-old imploring her… [Continue Reading]

We are edging ever closer to the full and final release of the next big version of Kodi, codenamed Leia. The second release candidate drops today, meaning the Kodi Foundation is still on target to release the final build this year. SEE ALSO: New Kodi 18 'Leia' Release Candidate (RC1) available to download now! Kodi 18 'Leia' will come with fewer features installed, and that’s a good thing Most notable changes in RC2 include: Update documentation regarding Python and Skin development: Kodi Doxygen Linux powermanagement: change logind detection to also use Dbus Android: Fix playback for some PVR add-ons Fix performance… [Continue Reading]

NetMarketShare reports on the state of the desktop operating system market on the first day of each month. In October, Windows 10 had edged closer to Windows 7, and I predicted that NetMarketShare would finally see Windows 10 emerge victorious in November. It didn’t. In fact, in November Windows 10 actually lost some usage share, dropping 0.14 percentage points. That puts it on 38.1 4 percent, down from the 38.28 percent high in October. The gap between the two operating systems still narrowed though, as Windows 7 also lost share, going from 39.35 percent to 38.89 percent, a fall of… [Continue Reading]

The Windows 10 October 2018 Update might be a mess, but that’s not deterring Microsoft from putting in the hours on the next big feature update -- codenamed 19H1 -- due out next spring. The latest release to Insiders on the Fast ring is Build 18290, and it comes with a number of improvements and additions. SEE ALSO: Jay-Z's struggling TIDAL comes to Windows 10 through the Microsoft Store Apple iCloud working once again in Windows 10 October 2018 Update Windows 10 1809 fiasco continues -- October 2018 Update also breaks Windows Media Player This Thanksgiving be thankful if you… [Continue Reading]

The latest feature update for Windows 10 -- the October 2018 Update, aka Windows 10 1809 -- has resulted in chaos for a lot of users. The list of problems with the OS is very long, and diverse. One of the issues was to do with Apple iCloud, and caused updating and syncing issues with shared albums, as well as preventing new installations. If that’s a problem you’ve experienced, there’s some good news -- it’s now been fixed. SEE ALSO: Windows 10 1809 fiasco continues -- October 2018 Update also breaks Windows Media Player This Thanksgiving be thankful if you… [Continue Reading]

If you want to shoot high quality photos and videos from up high, the DJI Mavic 2 is one of the best, most advanced drones you can buy. The drone comes with a 4K camera and 3-axis gimbal technology for super stable and smooth shooting. The DJI Mavic 2 Zoom model is equipped with a 2 x optical zoom camera, while the DJI Mavic 2 Pro features an amazing all-new L1D-20c Hasselblad camera. Both drones are fairly pricey -- the DJI Mavic 2 Pro retails for $1499, and the DJI Mavic 2 Zoom is $1249 -- but you really do… [Continue Reading]

It’s been two years in development, but the next big release for Kodi is nearly here. Today the hugely popular home theater software hits a major milestone, with the arrival of the first Release Candidate for Kodi 18 'Leia' -- RC1. This release should be much more stable that the five previous betas, and the Kodi Foundation shares the following stats: More than 9386 commits (code chunks changed) More than 3000 pull-requests (collection of commits that were included in one go) More than 8638 changed files More than 503.000 code lines removed More than 427.000 code lines added Over 36 open source… [Continue Reading]

The latest feature update of Windows 10, the October 2018 Update, or Windows 10 1809 if you prefer, has been something of a disaster for Microsoft, and even more so for some early adopters. The list of problems users have encountered with it -- so far -- include data loss, file association issues, Apple iCloud not working, mapped drives not reconnecting, Edge problems, and much more. Microsoft pulled the update for a considerable amount of time to fix a bunch of problems, but even more new ones are emerging on a regular basis. The latest problem Microsoft has admitted to… [Continue Reading]

Black Friday has turned from a single day in which you can pick up bargains in stores and online, into an extended sales extravaganza that runs for weeks. If you know what you want to buy, then you can make some serious savings at this time of year. Wellbots has just launched its Black Friday sales, and there are some fantastic offers to take advantage of, including some special deals for BetaNews readers. Whether you're after a robot cleaner, and electric unicycle, a waterproof drone, or a mobile battery station, Wellbots has you covered. Here are our top picks. InMotion… [Continue Reading]

The woes inflicted on users by the re-released Windows 10 October 2018 Update continue, with the latest issue concerning Apple iCloud. The problem affects the latest version of iCloud for Windows (7.7.0.27), and is causing updating and syncing issues with shared albums. In addition, if you try to install iCloud on a system running Windows 10 1809 the installation will fail. SEE ALSO: The re-released Windows 10 1809 is still buggy -- and some fixes won't arrive until next year These are all the fixes in the NEW Windows 10 October 2018 Update Microsoft finally re-releases the smelly turd that… [Continue Reading]

Windows 10 version 1809 -- aka the October 2018 Update -- was such a mess that Microsoft was forced to pull it and spend weeks trying to fix the numerous problems that early adopters had encountered, which included (but were not limited to) data loss, Windows failing to remember default app choices, driver issues and much more. On Tuesday, the software giant finally re-released the update, but if you were hoping things would go a lot smoother this time around, you’d be wrong. Windows 10 1809 still has some pretty major issues for users to be aware of. SEE ALSO:… [Continue Reading]

Windows 10 version 1809 -- aka the October 2018 Update -- was such a mess that Microsoft was forced to pull it and spend weeks trying to fix the numerous problems that early adopters had encountered, which included (but were not limited to) data loss, Windows failing to remember default app choices, driver issues and much more. On Tuesday, the software giant finally re-released the update, but if you were hoping things would go a lot smoother this time around, you’d be wrong. Windows 10 1809 still has some pretty major issues for users to be aware of. SEE ALSO:… [Continue Reading]

The Raspberry Pi was very much inspired by the BBC Micro -- a popular British computer of the 1980s. The BBC Micro was available in Model A and B forms, and shortly after the Raspberry Pi Foundation introduced the original Pi 1 Model B+ in 2014, it followed it up with a cut-down A+ model. It didn’t offer an A+ version for the Pi 2 or 3 unfortunately, but today, it finally rights that wrong and brings back the popular bare-bones system’s smaller brother. SEE ALSO: New add-on board lets you watch TV on your Raspberry Pi You can now… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft rolled out a new Windows 10 19H1 build earlier today, and the standout new feature is a Light theme -- the perfect antidote for those who don’t really like the dark themes that seem to be everywhere nowadays. As well as the theme itself, the build comes with a new, Light default wallpaper. If you don’t want to install a potentially buggy Insider build (like the original Windows 10 October 2018 Update), and you don’t want to wait until next spring when the 19H1 update is set to arrive, the good news is you can get the wallpaper now… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft has finally fixed many of the myriad problems with the botched Windows 10 October 2018 Update, but one issue it hasn’t yet addressed, is the one to do with file associations. With this problem, Windows fails to remember which programs you want to use to open certain files with by default. This was a problem Insiders reported to Microsoft back in May, but which -- like the file deletion issue -- got missed. The company previously announced that it is working on a fix, which it hopes to roll out by the end of the month. SEE ALSO: Microsoft… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft has finally begun to roll out a new, and hopefully improved version of the Windows 10 October 2018 Update, meaning it once again only has the one major feature update in development. Today the software giant releases Build 18282 on the 19H1 branch, and introduces some interesting new features. For 2018 most software companies have been giving us dark themes. For its next feature update, due out in spring 2019, Microsoft will be introducing a Light alternative. You can enable this new theme, which I have to say I really like, by going to Settings > Personalization > Colors.… [Continue Reading]

Yesterday, Microsoft began re-releasing the Windows 10 October 2018 Update (aka Windows 10 1809), with a string of fixes. This time around, the software giant advises waiting until you’re offered the new update, rather than forcing the install, which is a wise move. There’s no guarantee you won't encounter issues after installing it if your system isn’t fully compatible. While I disagree with my colleague Brian Fagioli’s description of Windows 10 as a "smelly turd", there’s no question that the October 2018 Update was something of a mess, and released without proper quality control. The latest iteration of the update… [Continue Reading]

Having a problem with Windows 10? Did it delete your files? No? Perhaps it downgraded your Windows 10 Pro installation to Windows 10 Home, or maybe it introduced display audio issues, installed bad audio drivers, failed to handle zip files correctly, or display all unicode characters, or maybe you had problems with Edge and Store apps? No? Maybe it broke Windows file associations for you, so you can’t open files in the default programs you choose. If your problem is the latter, the good news is Microsoft is working on a fix. The bad news is it doesn’t seem to… [Continue Reading]

The Windows 10 shit show continues with yet more problems with Microsoft’s newest operating system rearing their ugly heads. Some users -- including a friend of my colleague Brian Fagioli -- have suffered from a problem whereby file associations are broken, so you can’t open files in the default programs you choose. Now a growing number of users are complaining on Reddit that their Windows 10 Pro installations are suddenly reverting to Windows 10 Home. SEE ALSO: More problems surface with the buggy Windows 10 October 2018 Update Bad Intel audio driver kills sound in Windows 10 -- here's how… [Continue Reading]

The Windows 10 shit show continues with yet more problems with Microsoft’s newest operating system rearing their ugly heads. Some users -- including a friend of my colleague Brian Fagioli -- have suffered from a problem whereby file associations are broken, so you can’t open files in the default programs you choose. Now a growing number of users are complaining on Reddit that their Windows 10 Pro installations are suddenly reverting to Windows 10 Home. SEE ALSO: More problems surface with the buggy Windows 10 October 2018 Update Bad Intel audio driver kills sound in Windows 10 -- here's how… [Continue Reading]

The concept of a foldable phone has been around for a while now. Indeed, Microsoft’s oft-rumored Surface Phone was expected to offer a foldable display that looked like a tablet when opened up. Samsung has been teasing us with its own plans for a foldable phone for weeks now, and today at the Samsung Developer Conference 2018 it showed off a prototype which folds out to form a tablet, and back again to become a slightly fat phone. Samsung is calling this technology the Infinity Flex Display and says it will be able to start mass production in a "matter… [Continue Reading]

While there’s still no sign of a re-release for the botched Windows 10 October 2018 Update, Microsoft is rolling out new builds for the feature update that follows it, codenamed 19H1. Today’s new release, Build 18277, gains a new focus assist option that will spring into life whenever you’re doing anything full screen on your PC so you’re not bothered by notifications. This new addition can be found under Settings > System > Focus Assist. SEE ALSO: Windows 10 set to finally overtake Windows 7 Get ready for Windows 10 'Vanadium' Windows 10 -- 1990s edition is the retro operating… [Continue Reading]

Storing files in the cloud means they are easily accessible from anywhere, but if you have private data that you can’t afford to fall into the wrong hands, this might not be the best option for you, especially given the number of data breaches we see on a regular basis. An alternative option is to carry those files with you on a USB flash drive, protecting them with encryption. While software encryption methods are better than nothing, a hardware encrypted solution, like the Aegis Secure Key 3NX, is a much more advisable choice. The new USB 3.1 thumbdrive from Apricorn… [Continue Reading]

The recent roadmap for Kodi 18 'Leia' planned for four beta versions, followed by two release candidates, and then the finished thing. That plan has gone slightly out of the window, however, as today the Kodi Foundation releases a fifth beta. This is the final beta release and fixes a number of issues. SEE ALSO: Interest in Kodi declines following introduction of anti-piracy measures Kodi 18 'Leia' will come with fewer features installed, and that’s a good thing New Kodi 18 'Leia' Beta 4 arrives! Reddit Browser for Kodi scrapes video and more from the best subreddits The main changes… [Continue Reading]

StatCounter claims that Windows 10 overtook Windows 7 back in February, and its latest figures have the new operating system well ahead now. Rival monitoring service NetMarketShare disagrees however, and last month even had Windows 7 gaining share and Windows 10 falling back. October’s figures show the new operating system back on track though, this despite the negativity surrounding the botched October 2018 Update. SEE ALSO: Get ready for Windows 10 'Vanadium' Windows 10 -- 1990s edition is the retro operating system we want NetMarketShare shows Windows 10's share falling, Windows 7 rising According to the company, in October, Windows… [Continue Reading]

Things might have gone badly wrong for Microsoft with the Windows 10 October 2018 Update, but the company is working hard on the next big feature release out next spring. Build 18272 (19H1) pushed out to Insiders on the Fast ring today (and also available in ISO form) includes some input improvements and new sign-in options for Windows Hello. SEE ALSO: Get ready for Windows 10 'Vanadium' Windows 10 -- 1990s edition is the retro operating system we want Microsoft releases Windows 10 19H1 Build 18267 with expanded search indexing SwiftKey’s AI technology supports more languages from this build, and… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft’s first Windows 10 feature updates used the "Threshold" codename, but the software giant switched to using "Redstone" for the Anniversary, Creators, Fall Creators, April 2018, and October 2018 updates. The software giant went with "19H1" for the update due out next spring (the April 2019 Update possibly), but it plans to change its naming convention once again for the update that's scheduled to be released in October 2019. SEE ALSO: Windows 10 -- 1990s edition is the retro operating system we want Microsoft releases Windows 10 19H1 Build 18267 with expanded search indexing According to her sources, ZDNet’s Mary… [Continue Reading]

At its special event at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Apple today revealed a new MacBook Air with Retina Display, new iPad Pros with USB-C, and also updated its Mac mini. The new Mac mini comes with quad- and 6-core 8th-generation Intel Core processors, up to 64GB of faster memory and all-flash storage (up to 2TB). It also comes with four Thunderbolt 3 ports, an Apple T2 Security Chip and a 10Gb Ethernet option. Mac mini features an HDMI 2.0 port, two USB-A ports, an audio jack and Gigabit Ethernet as standard. "Mac mini is loved by customers for its… [Continue Reading]

In just a few hours, Apple will be taking the wraps off its latest iPads and Macs. The launch event will be held in Brooklyn this time around, which means it will be a lot earlier than usual. We’re expecting to see a new Home button-less iPad Pro with a thinner bezels and a Face ID sensor, updated iMacs, a new MacBook Air and maybe a new Mac Mini. iOS 12.1 is also out today, so expect some references to that too, as well as the usual surprises. The event is scheduled to start at 10am EDT/ 7am PDT/ 2pm… [Continue Reading]

Before emojis took over the world, people who wanted to add some tone or feelings to text messages or emails would use emoticons (or smileys) -- faces made up of punctuation characters. They’re still in use today, but people prefer to send emojis, or -- if you’re an iPhone user -- you might enjoy using Apple’s new face-tracking Animoji instead. But if you want to go old school, there’s a special emoticon keyboard hidden inside iOS. You can access a selection of emoticons through the Japanese keyboard. Just follow these instructions: Open Settings, General and select Keyboard. Tap Keyboards, and… [Continue Reading]

Windows 10 is a great operating system, but it’s not without its problems from time to time. That said, it’s still a huge leap forward from past Microsoft offerings, like Windows 95 and 98. If you’ve ever wondered what Windows 10 would be like if it had been released at the end of the last century, then take a look at Windows 10 -- 1990s Edition. Who needs Cortana when you can have Clippy helping you out? SEE ALSO: Forget Windows 10, it's Windows Vista -- 2018 Edition we want! Windows 7 -- 2018 Edition is the Microsoft operating system… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft is still busy fixing the many problems that have blighted the Windows 10 October 2018 Update, but that hasn’t stopped development on the follow up, due out next spring. Build 18267 for Insiders on the Fast ring, introduces -- among other things -- the ability for the OS to index all of your folders and drives, to make finding files on your PC much easier. SEE ALSO: More problems surface with the buggy Windows 10 October 2018 Update Windows 10 October 2018 Update nearly ready for re-release By default, the search indexer limits search to your documents, pictures, videos,… [Continue Reading]

The Kodi Foundation is busy finishing off the next major release of its hugely popular home theater software, and has made a fundamental change. In Kodi 18 'Leia', the binary add-ons will be removed, reducing the size of the installer significantly. When you download the program, you’ll get just the basics and can install additional features as required through the binary repository. There’s another benefit besides avoiding bloat. SEE ALSO: New Kodi 18 'Leia' Beta 4 arrives -- download it now! Reddit Browser for Kodi scrapes video and more from the best subreddits TVAddons' new transparency report reveals blacklisted Kodi… [Continue Reading]

Development on the next big version of Kodi, codenamed 'Leia', is well underway, with new pre-release versions arriving on a regular basis. The full version of the software is expected to be ready by the end of this year. The Kodi Foundation has today released the fourth Beta for Kodi 18, and as you would expect the focus is on squashing bugs and fixing usability issues. SEE ALSO: Kodi 18 'Leia' will come with fewer features installed, and that’s a good thing Reddit Browser for Kodi scrapes video and more from the best subreddits TVAddons' new transparency report reveals blacklisted… [Continue Reading]

As you know by now, Microsoft was forced to put the Windows 10 October 2018 Update on ice following reports that it was deleting user files. What made the problem even worse was Insiders had reported that issue to Microsoft months ago, but the software giant failed to address it. While the feature update is back in testing, non-Insiders have been discovering additional problems with it. First up, if you use the built-in zip tool to extract a file to a folder where a version of that file already exists (even if it has different data), nothing will actually happen.… [Continue Reading]

There’s a lot of fantastic media content on Reddit, although finding it isn’t always easy. The new Reddit Browser for Kodi scrapes subreddits for video, live streams, audio, images and discussions. The add-on has been in development for almost a year, and while it’s still very much a work in progress, it’s easy enough to use. SEE ALSO: New Kodi 18 'Leia' Beta 3 arrives -- download it now! TVAddons' new transparency report reveals blacklisted Kodi add-ons Kodi add-ons used to distribute currency miners Unofficial Kodi add-on provider TVAddons has put together a quick start guide, and a video to… [Continue Reading]

The Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ is a great, low-cost single board computer that you can put to all sorts of uses, but there are some hardware add-ons available for it which make it more useful. Two months ago, the Raspberry Pi Foundation launched a HAT (Hardware Attached on Top) that makes it possible to power the Pi over Ethernet (PoE), and today there’s another even more exciting announcement -- the arrival of a TV HAT. The Raspberry Pi DVB TV-uHAT connects to the Pi’s 40-pin GPIO header and a suitable antenna, allowing you to receive digital terrestrial TV broadcast… [Continue Reading]

The Windows 10 October 2018 Update was a real mess for Microsoft, not to mention for those users who installed it and lost their data. That feature update is back with Windows Insiders for further testing, and it likely won’t be long until it’s re-released. In the meantime, Microsoft is busy working on the next feature update, due out next Spring (the Spring 2019 Update, perhaps?), and today the software giant releases a new build to Insiders on the Fast and Skip Ahead rings. Build 18262 (19H1) gains an additional column in the Details tab of Task Manager that will… [Continue Reading]

The problems with the recent Windows 10 October 2018 Update have been well documented. If it wasn’t deleting your files, then it was stopping Edge working, and not playing nicely with display drivers. Microsoft responded to the negative feedback by "pausing" the update after a matter of days, and went to work on addressing the problems, rolling out a new test version to Windows Insiders last week. Feedback must have been positive, because Microsoft has now pushed that update to Insiders on the Slow and Release Preview rings, suggesting a re-release for all Windows 10 users is just around the… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft has had a tough time of it lately. The Windows 10 October 2018 Update deleted files for some users, introduced display audio problems, and broke Edge and Windows Store apps. It was so awful, that Microsoft was forced to pause the update, and send it back for testing. As if all that wasn’t bad enough, an Intel audio driver was incorrectly pushed to devices via Windows Update late last week, which unfortunately killed the audio for those who received it. If you’ve been affected, there are two options for getting your sound back. Firstly you can manually uninstall the… [Continue Reading]

Samsung has just taken the wraps off its latest mid-range smartphone -- the Galaxy A9 -- and it’s one that the South Korean tech giant says has been made with "Instagram generation" firmly in mind. The key difference between this, and other similarly priced devices is it comes with the world's first quad camera. This might seem like a gimmick, and to a degree it probably is, but actually each of the four lenses servers a different, useful purpose. The 'main' lens is a 24-megapixel shooter, and then there’s a 5-megapixel depth lens, which lets you play around with the… [Continue Reading]

Yesterday was supposed to be the day when the Windows 10 October 2018 Update started to properly roll out to users, but due to a number of well publicized problems, most notably with the OS deleting user data, Microsoft was forced to change its plans. It "paused" the update last week in order to investigate the problems, and now has an updated version of Windows 10 1809 ready for Windows Insiders to test and provide feedback on. SEE ALSO: Windows Insiders reported the Windows 10 file deletion problem to Microsoft months ago Windows 10 October 2018 Update breaks Microsoft Edge… [Continue Reading]

Interest in tablets has been waning for years -- even Apple can’t really get us that excited about new iPads. People are still buying Amazon’s Kindle Fires, but mainly because they are so attractively priced. At its 'Made by Google' event in New York today, Google revealed a brand new Chrome OS tablet called the Pixel Slate with an optional keyboard and Pixelbook Pen. The 12.3-inch tablet is thin, at just 7mm, weighs 1.6 pounds, and has a 3,000 x 2,000 resolution screen (293ppi), front-facing stereo speakers, and a USB-C port at the bottom. It also has dedicated 8MP front… [Continue Reading]

Today is the day that Google takes the wraps off a number of new hardware products. Top of the list will be the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL smartphones, both powered by a new Snapdragon 845 processor. We’re also expecting to see a refreshed Chromecast, a new Google Home Hub, new Chromebooks possibly, and maybe even a wireless charging stand for the new Pixels. SEE ALSO: Google's Two Pixel Problems Although there have already been plenty of leaks surrounding the new products, there are bound to be some surprises. The event starts at 8am PDT/11am EDT/4pm BST. If you… [Continue Reading]

The purpose of the Windows Insider program is to let users test out pre-release versions of Windows 10 months in advance, so they can try out new features, and report problems. In theory, this means when a new Windows 10 feature update rolls out to the public, all of the major bugs should have been squashed. Unfortunately, that’s often not the case, and occasionally really bad bugs -- like user personal data getting deleted by the update -- make it through the testing process. When something like this happens, it’s easy to think the issue simply failed to get picked… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft made its latest Windows 10 feature update available to download on Tuesday, and shortly afterwards the problems started. It didn’t play nicely with some Intel CPUs, Edge and Windows Store apps didn’t work for some users and, most damningly, the update was found to be deleting personal files. In the face of so many problems, Microsoft had to do something, and it has. The update has been pulled. SEE ALSO: Windows 10 October 2018 Update breaks Microsoft Edge and Windows Store apps for some users How to recover personal data lost by upgrading to the Windows 10 October 2018… [Continue Reading]

Every time Microsoft rolls out a new Windows 10 feature update we hear of problems being encountered by early adopters, even though the update undergoes serious testing through the Windows Insider program. The Windows 10 October 2018 Update only became officially available on Tuesday, and already it’s had to be blocked on certain Intel CPUs and, most damningly, it’s been found to be deleting user data (thankfully there’s a way to get the content back). Now it seems the new update is also causing problems with Microsoft Edge for some users. SEE ALSO: How to recover personal data lost by… [Continue Reading]

If you’ve recently updated your copy of Windows 10 to the very latest version -- the October 2018 Update -- you might have found that it wiped your documents, photos and other personal files. If you’ve got a backup stored safely away, then the loss of your content won’t be so devastating, but if you don’t, it’s not the end of the world -- you might be able to recover the files removed by the upgrade. SEE ALSO: Microsoft blocking the Windows 10 October 2018 Update on some newer Intel CPUs Windows 10 October 2018 Update deleting documents, photos and… [Continue Reading]

Windows 10 feature updates rarely roll out without some issues, but the Windows 10 October 2018 Update seems to be having more than its fair share. While some users are complaining the update has deleted their personal files, others are finding the upgrade has been blocked due to an incompatibility with systems running 6th generation (Skylake) or newer Intel processors. The problem relates to Intel Display Audio device drivers and according to Microsoft, installing the latest feature update can result in "excessive power demand and reduced battery life." SEE ALSO: Windows 10 October 2018 Update deleting documents, photos and other… [Continue Reading]

Although Windows 10 feature updates undergo a lot of testing via the Windows Insider program, it’s only once a new update gets released that any major unresolved problems come to light. The Windows 10 October 2018 Update is set to begin rolling out officially next week, but anyone can install it now via Windows Update, and of those who have, a growing number have reported that the upgrade has wiped their personal files. SEE ALSO: The new Calculator app in the latest Windows 10 update is HUGE, but you can fix that Windows 10 October 2018 Update is available from… [Continue Reading]

Five years ago, I wrote a story about how Windows 8.1's Calculator app summed up what was wrong with Microsoft's new OS. Windows 8.x was designed as a one-size-fits-all operating system, and apps were designed with little thought given to the different screen sizes they'd be viewed on. The problem was, on a desktop PC with a large screen, the Windows Calculator was massive. Or, as I put it at the time, "bloody huge -- filling my screen with buttons the size of business cards." Fast forward to 2018, and Microsoft is at it again, this time in the Windows… [Continue Reading]

Development on the next big version of Kodi, codenamed 'Leia', is progressing nicely. It’s expected to be released by the end of this year. For those who can’t wait, you can install pre-release versions, and the newest of these -- Beta 3 -- is available to download and install today. SEE ALSO: TVAddons' new transparency report reveals blacklisted Kodi add-ons Kodi add-ons used to distribute currency miners New Kodi 18 'Leia' Beta 2 arrives -- download it now! It’s really all about improving stability and performance at this stage, and the software is already pretty stable. I’ve been running Kodi… [Continue Reading]

Yesterday, Microsoft made the Windows 10 October 2018 Update available to anyone who wants it, meaning there’s currently only one development build on the go. Because of that, new builds on the 19H1 branch are now being pushed out to insiders on both the Skip Ahead and Fast rings. If you’ve yet to opt out of the Insider program or switch to the Slow ring, and your PC downloads and installs Build 18252, released today, you will need to roll it back and take appropriate action. SEE ALSO: Windows 10 October 2018 Update is available from today Microsoft unveils the… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft is holding a new hardware event today in New York City and has unveiled the latest generation of its tablet/laptop hybrid, the Surface Pro 6. Microsoft’s iPad rival has come a long way since its debut back in 2012, when it was an unqualified flop. These days, it’s a true laptop alternative, and as you’d expect, the Surface Pro 6 is the most powerful version yet. SEE ALSO: Windows 10 October 2018 Update is available from today Looks-wise it hasn't changed much, although alongside the platinum version there's a black matt variant, which I really like. The last time… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft is hosting a special event in New York City where it is taking the wraps off the next generation of Surface devices. It’s not just about hardware though, as the tech giant has announced the next big feature update for Windows 10, the October 2018 Update, is now available to download. SEE ALSO: Although Sets, hasn't made it into the OS this time around, new features in the update, aka Windows 10 1809, include a dark theme for File Explorer, a new screenshot tool, and clipboard, search, Notepad, and Edge improvements. There is of course also the new Your… [Continue Reading]

Usage share monitoring service StatCounter saw Windows 10 overtake Windows 7 back in February, and its latest figures put the new operating system on 50.07 percent, well ahead of Windows 7 on 37.2 percent. Rival monitoring service NetMarketShare disagrees however. While Windows 10 gained significant share in August, at Windows 7’s expense, the latest figures, for September, show a reversal of fortune. SEE ALSO: Windows 10 now has its own exclusive Linux distro -- WLinux Everything removed or deprecated in the Windows 10 October 2018 Update Microsoft quietly stops interfering with Chrome and Firefox installations on Windows 10 According to… [Continue Reading]

Taking a leaf out of the Lumen Database, unofficial Kodi add-on provider TVAddons has been maintaining a list of blacklisted Kodi Addons in a regular transparency report. This blacklist is not the result of DMCA takedown notices, but rather is compiled based on Kodi addons that were submitted to its index but judged not to meet the company’s own verification standards. SEE ALSO: Kodi add-ons used to distribute currency miners New Kodi 18 'Leia' Beta 2 arrives -- download it now! Popular Kodi add-on 'phones home' -- and could get you into serious legal trouble TVAddons, which is currently fighting… [Continue Reading]

The Windows 10 October 2018 Update is expected to arrive as early as next week, but for those people who are already looking forward to the following feature update, out next spring, Microsoft has a new build for you. Build 18247, on the 19H1 branch, isn't the most exciting Skip Ahead build you'll ever encounter, as it doesn't contain any new features. SEE ALSO: Windows 10 now has its own exclusive Linux distro -- WLinux What it does offer though, are the usual assortment of general changes, improvements, and fixes, including: Fixed an issue resulting in Narrator text to speech not… [Continue Reading]

There are a number of Linux distros available for the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), including Ubuntu, openSUSE Leap 42, Debian GNU/Linux, and Kali Linux. However, these distros tend to lack development tools and contain unnecessary packages, such as systemd. WLinux is a new, open source Linux distribution based on Debian stable that has been specially optimized for WSL. Created by open-source software startup Whitewater Foundry, WLinux has a number of WSL-specific enhancements enabled by default, with additional features planned for the future. Features include: A fast Linux terminal and development environment for developers and pro-users built on Windows Subsystem… [Continue Reading]

Amazon’s surprise hardware event in Seattle today revealed a lot of new Alexa-powered devices, but it’s the Fire TV Recast that will be of most interest to a lot of users. It’s a new companion DVR that lets you watch, record, and replay free over-the-air TV programming on the Fire TV, Echo Show, and on compatible Fire tablet, iOS, and Android devices. SEE ALSO: Amazon updates its Echo Dot, Echo Plus and Echo Show Amazon Smart Plugs let you control home devices with Alexa -- but you’ll need an Echo device Amazon announces an Alexa-powered microwave with a built-in popcorn… [Continue Reading]

At its surprise reveal today, Amazon took the wraps off an Alexa-powered microwave, a smart plug, and a whole host of other devices. It also announced updates to its Echo Dot, Echo Plus and Echo Show products, with improved audio and the nicer, fabric look Amazon introduced to the Echo last year. The Echo Dot, which Amazon says is its most popular speaker, is now 70 percent louder and has the fabric (Google Home-style) covering which you can see in the image above. It comes in Charcoal, Heather Gray, and Sandstone colors. The Echo Plus, which comes with a built-in Zigbee… [Continue Reading]

At its surprise event today, Amazon revealed a new smart plug which lets you control home appliances with Alexa. It doesn’t actually come with an Echo -- or microphones -- built in, but that’s to be expected given it will sell for just $25 (which is pretty much on par with other similar products). SEE ALSO: Amazon announces an Alexa-powered microwave with a built-in popcorn Dash button Provided you have an Echo, you can use this, or the Alexa App, to control the plug by voice, handy for turning lamps on or off, or firing up a coffee machine, for… [Continue Reading]

Amazon hosted a surprise event today in Seattle where it took the wraps of a whole raft of Echo products. One of the weirdest devices it revealed is an Alexa-powered microwave with a built-in Dash button that will allow you to order popcorn should you run out -- prefect for movie night! The AmazonBasics Microwave was created to update a device which Amazon says was "stuck in the late 70s". If you know much about Wi-Fi you’ll know that Microwave ovens can really disrupt wireless signals, but this is a problem that Amazon has reportedly solved. The microwave doesn’t come… [Continue Reading]

Three days ago, Microsoft rolled out Windows 10 Build 17760 to Windows Insiders. This build for the forthcoming October 2018 Update (aka Redstone 5) was the first with "no known issues”, showing how close we're getting to the actual release. Since then, however, the company has found and fixed a number of additional problems, and encountered a couple more which will be addressed in a subsequent build. SEE ALSO: Everything removed or deprecated in the Windows 10 October 2018 Update Microsoft releases Windows 10 October 2018 Update Build 17760 to the Fast ring, with no known issues General changes, improvements,… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft is introducing a number of new features in Windows 10 1809, aka the October 2018 Update, including a dark theme for File Explorer, a new screenshot tool, and clipboard, search, Notepad, and Edge improvements. Sadly what promised to be the big new feature, Sets, hasn't made it into the OS this time around. With each new Windows 10 update, some existing features get dropped, or stop being actively developed. Here are all the features that have been removed or deprecated in this forthcoming release. SEE ALSO: Microsoft releases Windows 10 October 2018 Update Build 17760 to the Fast ring, with… [Continue Reading]

It’s fair to say CCleaner has lost a lot of fans since Avast took over Piriform last year. We’ve seen problems with malware, bundled software, and pop-up ads, and then most recently Avast made a number of unwelcome privacy changes to the popular system cleaner, and removed the ability to quit the software. It eventually pulled the most recent problematic update, and released a replacement, CCleaner 5.46, without the privacy issues, but it turns out that this release has problems of its own. SEE ALSO: Avast is ruining CCleaner -- malware, bundled software, popup ads... what's next? Warning: DO NOT… [Continue Reading]

It’s fair to say CCleaner has lost a lot of fans since Avast took over Piriform last year. We’ve seen problems with malware, bundled software, and pop-up ads, and then most recently Avast made a number of unwelcome privacy changes to the popular system cleaner, and removed the ability to quit the software. It eventually pulled the most recent problematic update, and released a replacement, CCleaner 5.46, without the privacy issues, but it turns out that this release has problems of its own. SEE ALSO: Avast is ruining CCleaner -- malware, bundled software, popup ads... what's next? Warning: DO NOT… [Continue Reading]

If you own an iPhone (5s or newer), or an iPad, you can now officially update it to iOS 12, the latest and greatest version of Apple’s mobile operating system. iOS 12 offers performance improvements, new AR experiences, Memoji, Screen Time, and Siri Shortcuts for apps, to name just a few of the new additions. SEE ALSO: Apple officially announces iPhone XR, iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max Pre-order your iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and Apple Watch Series 4 now! Whatever you do, don't break one of Apple's new iPhones With its new iPhones, Apple drops not only the… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft is in the final stages of polishing up the next feature update for Windows 10. Insiders who were annoyed that the operating system interfered with the installation of Chrome and Firefox no longer need to worry as Microsoft has turned off this particular annoyance. If you play Tencent games, you’ll be pleased to know that Microsoft now says the October 2018 Update will be fully compatible with them. General changes, improvements, and fixes in this build include: The build watermark at the lower right-hand corner of the desktop is no longer present in this build. This does not mean… [Continue Reading]

Yesterday I revealed how Microsoft was interrupting attempts to install Firefox or Chrome on Insider builds of Windows 10 with an advert for its own browser, Edge. This boneheaded move, designed to get people to try Edge for more than just downloading another browser, was rightly met with fury here and across the internet, and Microsoft has now pulled the "advert", claiming it was just a test. But a test for what? To see how far it can push users? If you attempt to download and install Firefox or Chrome on an Insider build now you no longer see the… [Continue Reading]

Yesterday, Apple took the wraps off three new iPhones -- the Xs, Xs Max, and the Xr. These are attractive, powerful smartphones, with a premium price to match. If you have the money to buy one, you’ll also perhaps need to factor in the cost of AppleCare, Apple’s insurance policy, which includes up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage (although you’ll still need to pay an excess charge for each repair). If you decide not to go for AppleCare and you break the screen, or damage the phone in another way, then the cost of an official repair will… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft is busy polishing up the next big feature update of Windows 10, the October 2018 Update (aka Redstone 5), but is also working hard on the following update, codenamed 19H1. This update, out next spring, isn’t hugely different from the current October 2018 Update release, but the latest build does add acrylic to the Windows sign-in screen. SEE ALSO: WTF? Microsoft now interrupting Chrome and Firefox installations to promote Edge in Windows 10 Microsoft releases Windows 10 October 2018 Update Build 17758, with one known issue Forget Windows 10, it's Windows Vista -- 2018 Edition we want! Microsoft explains:… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft wants you to use its Edge browser in Windows 10. I mean, really, really wants you to use it. If you open Edge and search for "Chrome" or "Firefox" using Bing, Edge’s default search engine, you’ll be presented with a massive banner informing you that "Microsoft Edge is the faster, safer browser on Windows 10 and is already installed on your PC". Four boxes below then show you how Edge lets you browse longer, and faster, offers built-in protection and built-in assistance. If that doesn’t stop you, then Microsoft has a new, much nastier trick up its sleeve --… [Continue Reading]

In just a few hours, Apple will be taking the wraps off its latest smartphones, the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone XR, the iPhone XS and the iPhone XS Max. It is also expected to reveal an updated Apple Watch with a 15 percent larger screen, as well as the usual round of software updates for iOS, tvOS, watchOS, and macOS. An AirPower wireless charging pad is also a possibility. Due to a number of leaks we already have a good idea of some of what is going to be showcased at the event at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, but… [Continue Reading]

Windows Insiders testing the next big feature update of Windows 10 -- the October 2018 Update, aka Redstone 5 -- are used to just seeing builds with a long list of fixes and improvements now. Build 17758, released today on the Fast ring, is no different. General changes, improvements, and fixes in this build include: The build watermark at the lower right-hand corner of the desktop is no longer present in this build. This does not mean this is the final build as Microsoft is not done yet. It is just now beginning the phase of checking in final code… [Continue Reading]

People have often said that Microsoft operating systems follow a pattern, with good and bad versions alternating -- Windows 95 (bad), Windows 98 (good), Windows Me (bad), Windows XP (good), Windows Vista (bad), Windows 7 (good), Windows 8.x (bad), Windows 10 (good -- now at least). It’s mostly true, although if Windows Vista had been given the same length of life that Windows 10 has enjoyed to date, there’s a good chance a large portion of Windows users would still be using it today. Vista wasn’t bad as such, just very unfinished. If the aging OS had a modern makeover,… [Continue Reading]

In just a few hours, Apple will be taking the wraps off its latest smartphones, the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone 9, the iPhone Xs and the iPhone Xs Plus/Max. It is also expected to reveal an updated Apple Watch with a 15 percent larger screen, as well as the usual round of software updates for iOS, tvOS, watchOS, and macOS. An AirPower wireless charging pad is also a possibility. Due to a number of leaks we already have a good idea of some of what is going to be showcased at the event at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, but… [Continue Reading]

It’s exciting times for fans of Kodi, as there’s a new, major release of the insanely popular home theater software in development. Two weeks ago, the Kodi Foundation rolled out the first, stable beta release, giving users the chance to try out the new version without fear that it might trash their systems. Today, a new, even more stable release arrives, and you can -- and should! -- download it now. RECOMMENDED: LibreELEC 9.0 Alpha Linux distro gets Kodi 18 'Leia' Beta 1 update -- download now! New Kodi 18 'Leia' Beta arrives, download it now! Popular Kodi add-on 'phones… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft’s new Your Phone app lets you sync content directly from a phone to a Windows 10 PC. The original release, which was first available just for Windows 10 Insiders, then -- accidentally -- for all, and then for Insiders once more, only allowed Android users to access their phone’s photos on Windows 10, but it’s now been updated to make it much more useful. Released as part of the new Fast ring Insider Build 17755, the updated app lets you do much more, and there is finally some love for iOS users too. Microsoft says of the updated app:… [Continue Reading]

We’re getting ever close to the end game for the next big feature update for Windows 10. Redstone 5, or the October 2018 Update to give it its official name, is nearly done and the Insider updates still rolling out now are mostly focused on fixing problems. Build 17755 corrects some issues with the OS, but also makes big improvements to the Your Phone app. This build lets you send photos and SMS messages from Android on your PC, which makes the Your Phone app much more useful. Other general changes, improvements, and fixes include: The build watermark at the… [Continue Reading]

Locking and unlocking doors with a key is so last century. Smart locks are the future, but they can often be a little pricey. If you’ve been thinking of getting a smart lock for your home or office, but have been put off by the price, we have sizable savings on two great products -- the Yale Real Living Assure Lock SL HomeKit Enabled Key Free Touchscreen Deadbolt, and the August Smart Lock Pro + Connect, from Wellbots. Yale’s product lets you lock and unlock your home with ease from the backlit touchscreen keypad. Create unique pin codes for friends… [Continue Reading]

While work is continuing apace to polish up the Windows 10 October 2018 Update prior to its release next month, Microsoft is also hard at work on the following feature update due next spring. Today the software giant releases Build 18234 for that update to Insiders in the Skip Ahead ring, and it offers a large number of new features and improvements. RECOMMENDED: Microsoft extends Windows 7 support for businesses, but will punish them for taking too long to upgrade to Windows 10 Microsoft confirms the upcoming Windows 10 Redstone 5 release will be called the October 2018 Update First… [Continue Reading]

The end of extended support is looming for Windows 7. Microsoft is set to stop supporting the aging OS on January 14, 2020, but is aware that many businesses may take longer than that to make the switch to Windows 10. As a result, the company has today announced that it will offer paid Windows 7 Extended Security Updates (ESU) through to January 2023. These will be available for all Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Enterprise customers in Volume Licensing, and there will also be a discount available to those with Windows software assurance, Windows 10 Enterprise or Windows… [Continue Reading]

Amazon updates its own hardware products on a regular basis, often with little fanfare. There are no major press events, or hyped launches. Today, the retail giant announces another product update that likely won’t thrill the world, but will prove to be another big earner for the company. The new Amazon Fire HD 8 with Alexa Hands-Free is what you’d guess from the name. An 8-inch HD Fire tablet with added, always ready, Alexa support. The device’s display boasts over 1 million pixels, and the tablet is powered by a quad core processor and 16Gb of internal storage with support… [Continue Reading]

The next big feature update for Windows 10, Redstone 5, or the October 2018 Update, as it's now officially known, is getting ever closer to being finished. Microsoft is rolling out builds to Fast ring Insiders on a regular basis, and today’s new release, Build 17754, fixes lots of problems with the OS update. SEE ALSO: Windows 10 edges ever closer to overtaking Windows 7 -- could it happen this month? Microsoft releases Windows 10 October 2018 Update Build 17751... and the watermark has gone! Microsoft confirms the upcoming Windows 10 Redstone 5 release will be called the October 2018… [Continue Reading]

Meet the world's top ethical hackers and explore the tools of the trade. Cybersecurity is becoming increasingly critical at all levels, from retail businesses all the way up to national security. Hacking the Hacker takes you inside the world of cybersecurity to show you what goes on behind the scenes, and introduces you to the men and women on the front lines of this technological arms race. Light on jargon and heavy on intrigue, this resource drives to the heart of the field, introducing the people and practices that help keep our world secure. Hacking the Hacker will help you: Go deep… [Continue Reading]

Depending on which market share monitoring service you trust, Windows 10 either overtook Windows 7 back in December 2016 (Microsoft), in February this year (StatCounter), or is still trailing its predecessor, but catching up quickly (NetMarketShare). NetMarketShare’s latest round of usage figures show Windows 10 putting on a burst of growth in August, while Windows 7 lost more users than expected in the same time frame. SEE ALSO: Microsoft releases Windows 10 October 2018 Update Build 17751... and the watermark has gone! Microsoft confirms the upcoming Windows 10 Redstone 5 release will be called the October 2018 Update You may… [Continue Reading]

Earlier today, Microsoft confirmed what most people already knew -- that Windows 10 Redstone 5 would be called the October 2018 Update. That means that the OS update will start rolling out to users at some point in October, and as we’re only at the end of August now, Microsoft still has some time to spend on polishing the update and hopefully removing as many bugs as possible. SEE ALSO: Microsoft confirms the upcoming Windows 10 Redstone 5 release will be called the October 2018 Update You may soon be able to sign into Windows 10 with a Google account… [Continue Reading]

Speaking at the IFA 2018 keynote in Berlin, Roanne Sones, corporate vice president, Microsoft, has confirmed what most of us already knew -- the next big feature update of Windows 10, codenamed Redstone 5, will be the Windows 10 October 2018 Update. Don't all yawn at once. The name is no surprise given that it was expected to begin its rollout in October, and its predecessor was the April 2018 Update released in April. SEE ALSO: You may soon be able to sign into Windows 10 with a Google account Microsoft's Your Phone Android app now available for Windows 10… [Continue Reading]

A VPN is pretty much essential these days if you want to protect your privacy and beat annoying geographic restrictions put in place by websites and services. There are plenty to choose from, including some very good -- but usually limited -- free options. NordVPN is one of the best paid VPNs, with apps for all of the major platforms. The one platform it hasn’t directly supported up until now is Linux, but that changes today. NordVPN's new dedicated Linux app is easy to setup and includes many of the same features found in the company's other apps, including a… [Continue Reading]

It’s fair to say, CCleaner has experienced a lot of problems since Avast acquired it last year. We’ve seen issues with malware, bundled software, and popup ads, and most recently the company was embroiled in a privacy controversy, which led to it pulling the last update. Today, Avast rolls out a new update to CCleaner which adds a number of privacy settings, and sees certain monitoring features being renamed. Avast also takes the opportunity to once again try to install its antivirus software on your PC. Yes, seriously. SEE ALSO: Avast is ruining CCleaner -- malware, bundled software, popup ads...… [Continue Reading]

At the moment, you have two options when using Windows 10. You can create a local account, or you can use a Microsoft account to sign in. In the future, however, it’s possible that you might also be able to sign in using your Google account details. ChromeStory spotted a massive code commit on the Chromium Gerrit site which refers to a "Google Credential Provider for Windows." SEE ALSO: You can now run Windows 95 on Windows, macOS, and Linux How to add amazing live wallpaper (with or without sound) to Windows, and even create your own How to lock… [Continue Reading]

The Kodi Foundation is hard at work polishing up the next big version of its hugely popular home theater software -- Kodi 18 'Leia'. The finished update is expected to roll out later this year, but today the team announces it has arrived at an important milestone. The first beta of the new software is now available for anyone to download, and 18 has a lot of new features and improvements. Check out the changelog for details. SEE ALSO: Popular Kodi add-on 'phones home' -- and could get you into serious legal trouble LibreELEC 9.0 Alpha Kodi 18 Leia-focused Linux… [Continue Reading]

A week ago, Microsoft made its new Your Phone app available to all Windows 10 users. The app, which lets you sync content directly from a phone to a Windows 10 PC, was pulled shortly afterwards, as it transpired it was released accidentally. Fast ring Insiders were still able to access and use the app though, and today Microsoft makes it available to Insiders on the Release Preview ring as well (this is the ring in which you run the current, public version of Windows 10 but still get early access to updates, applications and drivers). SEE ALSO: Android users… [Continue Reading]

If you’re a Fast ring Insider, you’ll be aware that new builds of the next Windows 10 feature update -- 1809, aka Redstone 5 -- are coming thick and fast these days, as Microsoft works hard to get it finished in time for its Fall release. Three days ago, the software giant rolled out Build 17744, and today we get Build 17746. SEE ALSO: Microsoft releases Windows 10 Redstone 5 Build 17744 to Insiders on the Fast ring You can now run Windows 95 on Windows, macOS, and Linux There are no new features in this build, but general changes,… [Continue Reading]

The Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ launched five months ago and as well as being faster, with dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2, it came with the ability to be powered through Power over Ethernet (PoE) via a HAT. Today the Raspberry Pi Foundation announces that the HAT is now available to buy, and at a reasonable price too. SEE ALSO: Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ launches! Faster, with dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2 Debian-based Raspbian Linux distribution for Raspberry Pi gets major update 3 clever gift ideas using Raspberry Pi The new HAT (Hardware Attached on Top), which… [Continue Reading]

When Windows 95 debuted all those years ago, it was revolutionary. It introduced many of the features we still use today, including a desktop, taskbar and Start button. Consumers lapped it up, and it sold some seven million copies in the first five weeks, buoyed by the multimillion-dollar hype. Microsoft spent an estimated $300 million promoting the OS, which included some $12 million for the rights to use the opening chords of the Rolling Stones song "Start Me Up" as its theme tune. SEE ALSO: Would you swap Android or iOS for Microsoft Windows 95 Mobile? Would you swap Windows… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft’s plan with Windows 10 was to hit a billion devices within a couple of years, but that all hinged on the OS being a hit on PC, tablet, and mobile. Sadly, Windows 10 Mobile was a costly flop, and ultimately led to Microsoft’s exit from the mobile market. It’s been rumored for a while that the tech giant might be planning a return to the space with a folding Surface Phone, but it’s going to need more than the right hardware -- the operating system will have to appeal to users of Android and iOS, and give them a… [Continue Reading]

If you’re a Kodi user you’ll know add-ons occasionally disappear, stop working, or -- more rarely -- turn bad. While the risk of using Kodi to stream illegal content is usually relatively small, it’s worth being informed when an add-on compromises your privacy and could get you into serious trouble. SEE ALSO: New Kodi 18 Leia preview build arrives, download it now! How to protect Kodi from cryptojacking Running Kodi on Amazon Fire TV or Fire TV Stick? You're at risk from cryptocurrency mining malware New Kodi tool lets you configure new devices and download add-ons directly from developers on… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft might have pulled its new Your Phone app for non-Insiders, but it’s still available for those on the Fast ring, and this new build, the second this week, introduces a new way to get it. If you’re not familiar, Your Phone app lets Android users view their photos on a Windows 10 PC. An iOS version is in the works. SEE ALSO: Microsoft pulls Your Phone app for non-Windows Insiders Android users can now view their phone content on Windows 10 [Update] Microsoft releases Windows 10 Redstone 5 Build 17738 to Insiders on the Fast ring Build 17741 introduces… [Continue Reading]

If you’re not a Windows Insider, or even if you are, you might be more than a little confused by the different builds that Microsoft is now rolling out with some regularity. Two days ago, the software giant released Windows 10 Redstone 5 Build 17738 to those on the Fast ring, and today it delivers Build 18219 for those on Skip Ahead, which is the feature update after the next feature, which it’s currently referring to as 19H1 and which will be released next spring. SEE ALSO: Microsoft pulls Your Phone app for non-Windows Insiders Microsoft releases Windows 10 Redstone… [Continue Reading]

Yesterday, Microsoft rolled out its new Your Phone app for Windows 10. Previously only available for Windows Insiders, the app allows Android users to access their photos on a Windows 10 PC. If you’ve been wanting to try out the app, we’ve some bad news for you. You’ll once again need to be an Insider to use it. SEE ALSO: Android users can now view their phone content on Windows 10 [Update] There’s no official reason given for the change of plan but it looks as if Microsoft simply jumped the gun here and released the app before it was… [Continue Reading]

Two weeks ago, Windows Insiders got the chance to test out a new app called Your Phone. This app, for iOS and Android, lets users sync content directly from their phones to a Windows 10 PC. If you’ve wanted to try out the app, but you’re not an Insider, we’ve some great news for you. Starting today, Your Phone is available to all, although it currently only works with Android devices. SEE ALSO: Microsoft releases Windows 10 Redstone 5 Build 17738 to Insiders on the Fast ring You do need to be running the April 2018 Update to use the… [Continue Reading]

Two weeks ago, Windows Insiders got the chance to test out a new app called Your Phone. This app, for iOS and Android, lets users sync content directly from their phones to a Windows 10 PC. If you’ve wanted to try out the app, but you’re not an Insider, we’ve some great news for you. Starting today, Your Phone is available to all, although it currently only works with Android devices. SEE ALSO: Microsoft releases Windows 10 Redstone 5 Build 17738 to Insiders on the Fast ring You do need to be running the April 2018 Update to use the… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft is hard at work polishing the next big feature update for Windows 10, out in the fall. It released two new Redstone 5 builds last week -- Build 17733 (with Dark Theme for File Explorer) and Build 17735. Today, the software giant pushes out Build 17738 to Windows Insiders on the Fast ring. SEE ALSO: Android users can now view their phone content on Windows 10 As you might expect, there’s no new features in this build. General changes, improvements and fixes this time around include: Fixed an issue where on Windows 10 in S Mode, launching Office in… [Continue Reading]

Classic Shell was around for years before finding fame following Microsoft’s ill-conceived idea to make Windows 8 without a Start button or menu. It remained popular even after the Start menu made an official return in Windows 8.x and then Windows 10. Development of Classic Shell was sadly ended in 2017, but not before the developer open sourced it. Classic Start arrived last month, picking up where Classic Shell left off, but potential copyright issues mean it is no more. SEE ALSO: Classic Shell returns as Classic Start -- giving Windows 10 users a proper Start menu But while Classic… [Continue Reading]

Windows has been capable of displaying animated wallpaper for years, and when done right the effect is nothing less than stunning. RainWallpaper, from Deviant Art, lets you browse a large collection of live wallpapers, sorted into categories like Featured, Landscape, Animi, Game, Space, HiTech, Pet and Animal, and Plants. You can download and apply any that take your fancy, or make your own in seconds. SEE ALSO: How to lock down Windows 10, block telemetry and kill unwanted features like Cortana and Bing-integration These are all the websites Windows 10 connects to after a clean install How to install Microsoft… [Continue Reading]

In addition to rolling out a new Windows 10 Redstone 5 build to Insiders on the Fast ring today, Microsoft has also pushed out a new Redstone 6 build (the feature update that follows the next one, and isn’t set to arrive until next spring) to those on the Skip Ahead ring. Build 18214, on the 19H1 branch, catches up with where Redstone 5 is, and gives those bleeding edge users access to the new Your Phone app for Android and iOS. SEE ALSO: Microsoft releases Windows 10 Redstone 5 Build 17735 to Insiders on the Fast ring Microsoft releases… [Continue Reading]

New Windows 10 Redstone 5 builds are coming thick and fast and now as Microsoft works hard to get the future feature update ready for release in the fall. The software giant rolled out Build 17733, with a Dark Theme for File Explorer, just two days ago, and now Build 17735 arrives close behind. SEE ALSO: Microsoft releases Windows 10 Redstone 6 Build 18214 to Insiders on Skip Ahead Microsoft releases Windows 10 Redstone 5 Build 17733 with Dark Theme for File Explorer How to lock down Windows 10, block telemetry and kill unwanted features like Cortana and Bing-integration There… [Continue Reading]

Archive.org is one of my favorite websites. It’s home to millions of free books, magazines, movies, software, music, games and websites, and you can spend hours there, discovering new (well, old), and amazing things. Archive.org has been around for many years, but there remains the danger that its content could get removed, or the site get taken down as a result of copyright claims, censorship, DDoS attacks, and the like. For that reason, Archive.org has created a decentralized -- or distributed -- version of its site. SEE ALSO: How to install Microsoft Windows Essentials tools -- including Movie Maker --… [Continue Reading]

We’re edging closer to the launch of the next big Windows 10 feature update, codenamed Redstone 5, and Microsoft is hard at work tidying things up, and rolling out new builds for Insiders to test. The latest build to hit the Fast ring is Build 17733, which -- among other changes -- delivers the Dark Theme for File Explorer that was begun in Build 17666. SEE ALSO: How to lock down Windows 10, block telemetry and kill unwanted features like Cortana and Bing-integration These are all the websites Windows 10 connects to after a clean install How to install Microsoft… [Continue Reading]

Windows 10 has got over its early teething problems, and is now shaping up to be an excellent operating system. It might have taken a long while to get there, but the fact it’s about to overtake Windows 7 shows how far the new OS has come. However, you only have to read one of our lively comments sections to realize there are plenty of people who still prefer Windows 7 and have no desire to switch to Windows 10. Those people typically aren’t fans of Microsoft’s telemetry gathering, forced adverts, and unwanted features, and I get that. However, there… [Continue Reading]

Piriform rolled out updates for CCleaner on a monthly basis, and this is something that has continued since Avast took over. The latest update, CCleaner 5.45, wasn’t at all well received due to a number of changes affecting privacy, and the company’s response to the matter proved to be unsatisfactory -- to say the least. Now it seems that Avast has seen the light, and pulled the latest update. The current version available is 5.44. On its forums the company had this to say: Thank you all for your continued feedback (positive and negative, it all helps). I wanted to… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft rolled out Windows 10 Redstone 5 Build 17728 to Insiders on the Fast ring three days ago, and at the same it teased its new Your Phone app. This app allows iOS and Android users to sync content from their phones to a Windows 10 PC. Today, the software giant rolls out another new Insider build, and announces that Your Phone is now live. SEE ALSO: Microsoft releases Windows 10 Redstone 5 Build 17728, teases new Your Phone app Windows 10 continues to close in on Windows 7, will overtake it soon Microsoft says: Android phone users, you can… [Continue Reading]

Yesterday I wrote about why people might want to skip the latest version of popular system cleaning tool CCleaner. This isn’t the first time that I, and other long-time users, have expressed dissatisfaction in how the program is evolving under Avast. Following yesterday’s piece, the Avast-owned Piriform -- CCleaner’s maker -- contacted me to clarify the situation. This is what the company had to say. As part of our ongoing mission to improve CCleaner and deliver a better customer experience, we introduced some features in Version 5.45 aimed at providing us with more accurate data that would help us to… [Continue Reading]

NetMarketShare reports on the state of the desktop operating system market on the first day of each month. Usually at least. It spent a few days auditing June’s figures last month, which caused a bit of a delay. There’s no such lag for July’s figures though, which arrive on time and show Windows 10 continuing to cut into Windows 7's dominance. SEE ALSO: These are all the websites Windows 10 connects to after a clean install In July, Windows 10 went from 35.71 percent to 36.58 percent, an increase of 0.87 percentage points. That’s down from the 0.97 percentage points… [Continue Reading]

The Kodi Foundation is hard at work polishing up the next version of its hugely popular home theater software -- Kodi 18 'Leia'. The updated software introduces a huge number of changes (you can view the full changelog here) and you can try it out now. SEE ALSO: New Kodi tool lets you configure new devices and download add-ons directly from developers on the fly The third and final alpha build is described as "quite solid to use as a daily driver for those who were brave enough to try it out" -- and quite a few users have taken… [Continue Reading]

A month ago, I wrote about how I felt Avast was ruining CCleaner, the excellent system cleaning software it took over when it acquired Piriform last year. In Avast's short tenure, we've already seen CCleaner suffer from malware, bundled software, and pop-up ads. In my article headline I asked "what’s next?" Well, with a new version of CCleaner available to download, we now have the answer. Inevitably, it's not good. SEE ALSO: Avast is ruining CCleaner -- malware, bundled software, popup ads... what's next? The changelog for CCleaner 5.45 lists the following 'improvements': In this release, we’ve made stability improvements… [Continue Reading]

A month ago, I wrote about how I felt Avast was ruining CCleaner, the excellent system cleaning software it took over when it acquired Piriform last year. In Avast's short tenure, we've already seen CCleaner suffer from malware, bundled software, and pop-up ads. In my article headline I asked "what’s next?" Well, with a new version of CCleaner available to download, we now have the answer. Inevitably, it's not good. SEE ALSO: Avast is ruining CCleaner -- malware, bundled software, popup ads... what's next? The changelog for CCleaner 5.45 lists the following 'improvements': In this release, we’ve made stability improvements… [Continue Reading]

The second Windows 10 Redstone 5 Bug Bash is currently underway, but that hasn’t stopped Microsoft rolling out Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17728 (RS5) to Insiders in the Fast ring. This new build introduces a number of changes, improvements and fixes, and Microsoft also used this new flight to detail the forthcoming Your Phone app which will soon allow iOS and Android users to sync content from their phones to a Windows 10 PC. SEE ALSO: These are all the websites Windows 10 connects to after a clean install How to install Microsoft Windows Essentials tools -- including Movie… [Continue Reading]

Windows 10 has always had a bad reputation for snooping on users. While that was a valid issue at the start, each new feature update has made changes to the privacy side of the operating system, and users now have much greater control over things. When you perform a clean install of Windows 10, the operating system connects to a large number of sites for different purposes, including -- naturally enough -- to send and receive email, download apps and security updates, and so on. The sheer number of endpoints that the operating system connects to might surprise you however.… [Continue Reading]

Malwarebytes is one of the better tools for keeping your PC safe from the many threats you can encounter on the web, and today the company introduces a browser extension for both Firefox and Chrome. Called simply, Malwarebytes Browser Extension (BETA) it blocks malicious websites and filters out unwanted content, which the company says results in "up to three times faster webpage load times". The add-on kills pop-ups, browser hijackers, and lockers, blocks clickbait links and fake news (although Malwarebytes doesn’t detail how it determines what news is fake), and stops in-browser cryptocurrency miners and other malicious content. It works… [Continue Reading]

When is the most popular time for ordering pizza, Chinese food, or other forms of takeout? You might think there's no set answer, but it turns out that wherever you are in the world there’s a particular time when most people think about getting food. Actually, that’s not completely true. There are two times. Academics from the University of Aberdeen studied when people go online to look for food, across the US, Canada, UK, Australia, and India, and found that people in each of those places have pretty much the same habits. The researchers discovered that people look to order… [Continue Reading]

It’s been a couple of weeks since Microsoft last rolled out a new Windows 10 Redstone 5 build to Insiders on the Fast ring, but today the wait is over. In addition to new RS5 Build 17723 the software giant also releases a new build for Insiders who have opted to join (or rejoin) the Skip Ahead ring. Build 18204 is the first release on the 19H1 (Redstone 6) branch that will become the first feature update of 2019. Because these two builds have just split, they are largely the same -- as you might expect -- but this will… [Continue Reading]

If you’re a business leader, you’ve heard, read or thought about it more than you probably want to: the ceaseless war to protect your company’s network and data from a hacker. The next big data breach is always lurking around the corner, but businesses don’t have to live in fear of losing critical data. This great free ebook contains multiple perspectives, including: Has your company overlooked attack vendors? 5 preventable human errors that leave your company vulnerable to a cyberattack How to do a cybersecurity risk assessment Business owners have a lot on their plate, including finding ways to protect… [Continue Reading]

Much of the world is experiencing a prolonged heatwave at the moment. These sunny days are great for topping up a tan, and enjoying the beach, but not so great for using a mobile phone -- and not only because of the risk of it overheating. If you have an iPhone, you will likely have encountered the issue of the screen brightness suddenly changing. One moment you’ll be able to see things just fine, and the next it will be too dark to view properly in the sunshine. Adjusting the brightness won’t make any difference either, but don’t worry, there… [Continue Reading]

iOS 6 made its debut six years ago, in 2012. It wasn’t the most ground-breaking version of Apple’s mobile operating system, focusing mostly on refining elements, although it did introduce a number of new features, including Apple Maps, Do Not Disturb, and Passbook (now called Wallet). With iOS 12 due this fall, most people have long forgotten about iOS 6, but the 2018 Edition shows why it was good, and how adding 3D Touch can improve things significantly. YouTuber Kamer Kaan Avdan, who has previously created concept videos for Windows 11, iOS 12 and Android 9.0, and most recently brought… [Continue Reading]

Google recently rolled out a big update to Gmail, introducing a number of welcome new features. One the big new additions is 'Confidential Mode' which you can enable from the compose window. This is designed to restrict how the emails you send can be viewed and shared, and you can also set an expiration date for messages. If you have the need to send and receive emails of a sensitive nature, then you might think this is the prefect solution. There’s just one problem -- messages sent using it aren’t confidential. SEE ALSO: How to stop your private Gmail messages… [Continue Reading]

We live in an age where TVs offer amazing picture quality -- 4K HDR really makes the picture pop. But it’s no good having a fantastic image on screen, if the accompanying sound quality is rather lacking. Enclave Audio's Cinehome HD 5.1 Wire Free Home Theater System is an easy-to-setup HD 5.1 digital surround system that delivers 24-bit HD quality audio without the need of speaker wires. There’s no Audio/Video receiver required, simply place the speakers, add power, provide a source, and enjoy every nuance of every sound of your movie, music, sport or video game. Enclave’s product establishes its own… [Continue Reading]

Bitdefender Internet Security 2019 gives you the best protection against Internet threats on Windows, with no drag on your system’s resources. It was named Product of the Year by AV-Comparatives and awarded with Best Protection and Best Performance by AV-TEST. Bitdefender Internet Security 2019 stops attacks before they even begin and the new network-based adaptive layer of protection prevents exploitation of vulnerabilities in your system, detects and blocks brute-force attempts, prevents your device from being compromised in botnet attacks and prevents sensitive information from being sent in unencrypted forms. SEE ALSO: Bitdefender 2019 security line promises to stop 'most-sophisticated attacks'… [Continue Reading]

It’s very easy to install Windows apps from the Microsoft Store. You just need to go to the app’s page there, click the 'Get the app' button, and wait. But what if you want to download a copy of the app for installing later, or on multiple systems? Well it turns out there is a way to do this. SEE ALSO: How to install Microsoft Windows Essentials tools -- including Movie Maker -- on Windows 10 Make Windows 10's Timeline feature actually useful by adding support for Chrome and Firefox How to use Windows 10's new Timeline feature EdgeDeflector for… [Continue Reading]

Windows Essentials (also called Windows Live Essentials) was a suite of desktop applications that included various Microsoft programs, like Messenger, Mail, Movie Maker, Photo Gallery, Writer, and OneDrive. The last version of the suite was released in 2012, with the final update in 2014, and reached end of support on January 10, 2017. Microsoft removed the pack from its site last year, and while it is officially no longer available for download, you can still get it -- if you know how. And the good news is tools like Movie Maker work fine on Windows 10. SEE ALSO: Make Windows… [Continue Reading]

Timeline is an excellent addition to Windows 10, introduced as part of the April 2018 Update. It remembers what documents and web pages you’ve been working on recently, allowing you to quickly pick up where you left off. As good as it is, however, it has one major flaw and that’s it only remembers web pages you’ve opened in Microsoft Edge. If you don’t use that browser -- and let’s be honest, that’s most people -- then Timeline’s usefulness is greatly reduced. Thankfully, there’s a way to get it to remember pages you’ve visited in Chrome or Firefox. SEE ALSO:… [Continue Reading]

It’s no secret that Microsoft wants you to use its Edge browser in Windows 10. It’s tried a lot of ways to persuade users to switch from Chrome, Firefox or other browsers, including advertising Edge in Windows and even recently made a change to a Redstone 5 Insider preview so that links clicked in Windows Mail opened directly in the browser. Windows 10 users will be aware that Edge is already the default browser for certain links and actions. If you run a web search using the Cortana search box, for example, the results -- provided by Bing -- will… [Continue Reading]

Malwarebytes already offers a decent security app for Android, but the company has never had a version for iOS -- until now. While iPhone and iPad users are less at risk from malware than their Android counterparts, thanks to Apple’s walled-garden, they aren’t necessarily completely safe -- the threat of spam calls, scam websites, fraudulent texts and bad ads remains. Malwarebytes for iOS, offers four security features to make users’ mobile experiences faster, safer and more private. It’s available as a free download in the Apple App Store, with additional premium features available if required. Users get a free 30-day… [Continue Reading]

Apple today announces that it has refreshed its MacBook Pro with the latest Intel processors for faster performance, True Tone displays, and quieter keyboards. The switch to newer processors brings a big improvement to performance. How big a boost? According to Apple, the 8th-generation quad-core Intel Core processors in the 13-inch MacBook Pro will make it twice as fast, while the 8th-generation 6-core Intel Core processors in the 15-inch model will deliver 70 percent better performance. Buyers also have the option to add up to 32GB of memory to the 15-inch MacBook Pro, as well as up to a 4TB… [Continue Reading]

Having rolled out a new Windows 10 Insider build at the end of last week, Microsoft returns with another new build for those on the Fast ring. The software giant is doing a reset of the Skip Ahead ring starting from this build. It's focusing now on stabilizing Redstone 5 ahead of its launch in the Fall, and so Skip Ahead insiders will be automatically switched to the Fast ring for now. SEE ALSO: NetMarketShare's audited figures show Windows 10 closing in on Windows 7 Microsoft pulls the plug on Windows 10's game-changing Sets feature -- for now Build 17713… [Continue Reading]

When Microsoft scrapped the Start menu in Windows 8, users were up in arms. Most refused to upgrade to the new OS, which ultimately led to its failure and demise, and of those who did switch, large numbers sought out third-party Start menus. The best of these options was unquestionably Classic Shell. A great free tool it offered users a choice of three different menu styles -- Classic, Two Columns and Windows 7 -- as well as other options for customizing various elements of the OS, including Explorer. Sadly, the creator of Classic Shell, Ivo Beltchev, pulled the plug on… [Continue Reading]

The XBMC/Kodi Foundation is still working hard on the next big update to its popular home theater software, Kodi 18 "Leia", but whether you’re running the alpha, or are still on Kodi 17, we’ve some great news for you. Unofficial add-on repository TVAddons has released a new tool for Kodi called Batch Installer which allows users to create their own custom "templates" for configuring Kodi to new devices in seconds. SEE ALSO: New, stable test version of Kodi 18 Leia now available, Beta 'soon' How to protect Kodi from cryptojacking TVAddons launches Feeds for Git Browser, making it easy to share… [Continue Reading]

It’s been a little while since we had a new Surface product from Microsoft, but the wait appears to be (almost) at an end. In a new tweet posted today, Microsoft asked 'Where will Surface go next?' above a picture of the current range of Surface devices, with a shadow from an un-shown model on the far right. The picture also includes tomorrow’s date, so it’s pretty clear that’s when the new product will be revealed. SEE ALSO: People really want Microsoft to launch a Surface Phone Would this foldable Surface Phone running Windows 10 make you switch from Android… [Continue Reading]

It looks as if Microsoft is back on its weekly release schedule for Windows 10 Redstone 5 preview builds. Build 17711, for Insiders on the Fast and Skip Ahead rings, offers a number of improvements and changes. These include Fluent Design tweaks, the usual raft of Edge additions, and improvements to display settings and the registry editor. SEE ALSO: NetMarketShare's audited figures show Windows 10 closing in on Windows 7 Microsoft pulls the plug on Windows 10's game-changing Sets feature -- for now The Edge improvements this time around include additional themes for learning tools, and line focus which highlights… [Continue Reading]

Need a PC problem fixed in a pinch? Troubleshooting & Maintaining Your PC All-in-One For Dummies offers 5 books in 1 and takes the pain out of wading through those incomprehensible manuals, or waiting for a high-priced geek to show up days or weeks after you need them. There's nothing worse than firing up your PC only to discover it's inexplicably unresponsive. With this guide, you'll gain all the skills and insight you need to need to bring it back to life -- and to prevent it from ever leaving you in the lurch again. This resource will help you:… [Continue Reading]

NetMarketShare reports on the state of the desktop operating system market on the first day of each month, and it has long shown Windows 10 to be lagging behind Windows 7. This is in stark contrast to the figures from rival analyst firm StatCounter which famously had Windows 10 overtaking its predecessor way back in January. This time around NetMarketShare took a few days extra to present its numbers for June, but after an audit, in which the figures changed considerably, they are finally available and make for interesting reading. SEE ALSO: Microsoft pulls the plug on Windows 10's game-changing… [Continue Reading]

When Gmail first launched back in 2004, people were concerned about it because Google was scanning incoming messages in order to be able to present users with relevant, personalized adverts based on the email content. The feature was finally dropped a year ago, in a move welcomed by privacy advocates, but it turns out employees of third-party app developers may well have been reading your private messages. Google allows users to connect third-party services to their accounts, and it’s here the problems arise. The apps request certain permissions, including the ability to "read, send, delete and manage your email". The… [Continue Reading]

The easiest and best way to speed up a slow computer is to replace its HDD with an SSD. This will deliver a huge performance boost, and can make an old PC feel brand new. If you’re after the best speeds and your computer has a compatible PCIe-based M.2 slot, then a NVMe solid state drive is what you should you be looking for as they are significantly faster than SATA models. That said, SATA remains the dominant interface for connecting a SSD to your PC, and for most consumers the performance improvement it provides will be perfectly acceptable --… [Continue Reading]

Throughout June, to celebrate BetaNews’ 20th birthday, we have been giving away some incredible prizes and while the month is drawing to a close now, we still have more giveaways for you enter. The diskAshur Pro 2 range of portable USB hard drives from iStorage makes it easy to keep your personal files and folders private thanks to the integrated PIN authenticated XTS-AES 256-bit hardware encryption. Unlocking the drive is just a matter of tapping your PIN into the keypad and pressing the unlock button. To secure it again, just press the lock button, or eject the drive. SEE ALSO:… [Continue Reading]

Security software firm Avast acquired Piriform -- the maker of several popular system utilities, including CCleaner -- last year. Things didn’t go too well from the off however, as shortly afterwards, it was revealed that CCleaner had been hacked and a dangerously modified version had been available to download for a number of weeks. Avast was quick to point out Piriform’s IT systems were breached before it acquired the company, but it was still in charge when the infected build was released. That sort of thing is very unfortunate -- and even more embarrassing given the business Avast is in… [Continue Reading]

Amazon is always looking for new ways to get its Alexa digital assistant into more homes. It’s rolled out a variety of Echo products over the years, most recently the Fire TV Cube, and Echo Dot Kids Edition. A year ago, the company introduced the Echo Show, an Alexa powered device with a built-in 7-inch touchscreen. Today, the retail giant announces a free software update to turn an existing Fire tablet into a slimmed down Show, and there’s a new optional charging dock to complete the experience too. SEE ALSO: Amazon introduces its largest and fastest tablet for kids Show… [Continue Reading]

Amazon’s Fire tablets have been a big success for the company, with the Kids Editions proving very popular with parents. As well as offering age-appropriate content, they come with a kid proof case which makes them much harder to break than regular tablets. Today the retail giant introduces a new model to the range. The Fire HD 10 Kids Edition is its largest kid friendly device to date, and for a price that’s very reasonable. SEE ALSO: Amazon's new Show Mode turns a Fire tablet into a slimmed-down Echo Show -- for free The Fire HD 10 Kids Edition offers… [Continue Reading]

The next big feature update of Windows 10, codenamed Redstone 5, has been shaping up nicely, with lots of great improvements and new additions. The highlight of this future update is unquestionably Sets, a tab-based feature that’s designed to let you access related web pages, research documents, files, and applications in one location. Sets was originally planned to be part of the April 2018 Update alongside Timeline, but Microsoft needed a little more time to get things right, and so pushed it back. Sadly it now looks as if it won’t make it into the following feature update either. SEE… [Continue Reading]

It’s been a couple of weeks since Microsoft last rolled out a new Windows 10 Redstone 5 build for Insiders, but today the wait for an update is over. Build 17704, for those on the Fast ring and Skip Ahead, includes a number of big improvements and changes. SEE ALSO: Microsoft pulls the plug on Windows 10's game-changing Sets feature -- for now First up, there’s the obligatory Microsoft Edge improvements, including a new Edge Beta logo, so you tell the difference between the stable and preview versions. It’s not something Microsoft has spent very long on though, so don’t… [Continue Reading]

Some people are worried about the prospects of robots taking over their jobs, but there are some tasks around the home that you would relish a robot doing for you -- such as vacuuming. Robot vacuum cleaners are fantastic time-saving gadgets, and thanks to Wellbots you can win a Neato Botvac D7 Connected Robot Vacuum for your home as part of BetaNews' ongoing 20th birthday giveaway celebrations. SEE ALSO: #BetaNews20 Giveaway: Meural Canvas Wi-Fi enabled digital art frame from Wellbots #BetaNews20 Giveaway: Linksys WRT32XB AC3200 Xbox One wireless gaming router #BetaNews20 Giveaway: HyperX Cloud Alpha gaming headset for PC, Xbox,… [Continue Reading]

We’ve written a lot recently about 2018 editions of past Windows operating systems, including Windows 7, XP and even Windows 95. Microsoft Windows 95 Mobile imagines what the 23-year-old OS would look like if it was running on a modern smartphone today, and while its creator firmly has his tongue in cheek here, I have to say it has a certain retro-appeal to it. SEE ALSO: You can now download 5K wallpapers from the '2018 Editions' of Windows 7, XP and more Windows 7 -- 2018 Edition is the Microsoft operating system you've been waiting for Would you swap Windows… [Continue Reading]

Fans of Kodi know that there’s a new version of the open source home theater software in development. Kodi 18 Leia introduces a number of big changes, including an overhaul for the Music and Live TV sections. For Windows users there’s a dedicated 64-bit build, Android owners can populate the screen with content using a feature called Smartplaylists, and there have also been numerous changes for Linux. SEE ALSO: How to protect Kodi from cryptojacking The second official Alpha build, now available, improves stability and usability, and Team Kodi recommends you try it out, stating "several tens of thousands users… [Continue Reading]

Cryptojacking might not be as terrifying a threat as ransomware, but it’s a major annoyance that’s becoming more and more prevalent. If you’re not familiar, the attack essentially uses other people’s systems to mine cryptocurrency, usually without their consent. When a cryptocurrency miner is running, your system will experience slowdowns and maybe crashes. The miner will eat up system resources, interfering with tasks like streaming video. SEE ALSO: Running Kodi on Amazon Fire TV or Fire TV Stick? You're at risk from cryptocurrency mining malware In response to this threat, TVAddons has released a new tool which protects Kodi users… [Continue Reading]

As you’ll know if you’re a frequent visitor to BetaNews, YouTuber Kamer Kaan Avdan has been creating some fantastic concept videos for various operating systems of the future, including Windows 11, iOS 12 and Android 9.0. Most recently though, it’s his modernizing of Windows 7, Windows XP and Windows 95 which have really caught people's attention. If you’ve watched any of his videos, and thought how cool it would be to actually run one of those operating systems, the bad news is they remain purely concepts for now. However, you can customize your existing OS with some wallpapers from his… [Continue Reading]

At its recent WWDC, Apple revealed the latest version of macOS -- Mojave. The OS update introduces a number of new features, including a dark theme and desktop Stacks. One of the more interesting additions is Dynamic Desktop which cleverly cycles through a set of 16 images of the desert taken at different times of the day. If you like the idea of this, but are on Windows 10, the good news is it’s now possible to get the feature on your OS, and for free. SEE ALSO: Apple introduces macOS Mojave with Dark Mode, desktop Stacks and more Windows… [Continue Reading]

Windows 10 is a very good operating system, but despite Microsoft initially offering it as a free upgrade, many users were reluctant to switch from Windows 7, and it’s easy to understand why. A lot of Windows 10’s big changes -- the Microsoft Store, bundled third-party apps, live tiles in the Start menu, Cortana, Bing integration, and so on -- simply weren't that appealing to users of previous versions of Windows. Windows 7 still offers everything that most people would want from an OS, but nearly a decade on from its debut, it now looks and feels quite dated compared… [Continue Reading]

Some people are worried about the prospects of robots taking over their jobs, but there are some tasks around the home that you would relish a robot doing for you -- such as vacuuming. Robot vacuum cleaners are fantastic time-saving gadgets, and thanks to Wellbots you can win a Neato Botvac D7 Connected Robot Vacuum for your home as part of BetaNews' ongoing 20th birthday giveaway celebrations. SEE ALSO: #BetaNews20 Giveaway: Meural Canvas Wi-Fi enabled digital art frame from Wellbots #BetaNews20 Giveaway: Linksys WRT32XB AC3200 Xbox One wireless gaming router #BetaNews20 Giveaway: HyperX Cloud Alpha gaming headset for PC, Xbox,… [Continue Reading]

Windows 10 has long had a reputation for being a rather problematic operating system. Part of this is down to early versions famously spying on users, and Microsoft shoving it onto systems against the owners' wishes didn’t help either. Rolling out major feature updates twice a year has led to numerous complaints and problems as well, with one of our most searched-for articles here being how to rollback an update. SEE ALSO: Microsoft using AI and Machine Learning to manage the Windows 10 April 2018 Update rollout How to rollback and uninstall the Windows 10 April 2018 Update In a… [Continue Reading]

As recently noted by AdDuplex, the Windows 10 1803 rollout is progressing much more smoothly than all previous feature updates. AdDuplex’s figures suggest over 50 percent of Windows 10 users have already been offered the update, while Microsoft’s own numbers say 250 million machines have it. With close to 700 million Windows 10 systems, that’s just over 35 percent. It’s certainly been a huge improvement over the famously slow and problematic Creators Update last year, and part of the reason this rollout has been so successful is down to Microsoft’s use of AI and Machine Learning. SEE ALSO: Microsoft releases… [Continue Reading]

With the Windows April 2018 Update now available to all, it’s full steam ahead for Microsoft on the next big feature update, codenamed Redstone 5. New builds are arriving on a weekly basis, and today sees the rollout of Build 17692 for Insiders on the Fast and Skip Ahead rings. SEE ALSO: Would you swap Windows 10 for Windows 95 -- 2018 Edition? In this new build SwiftKey will now power the typing experience when using the touch keyboard. It currently supports English (United States), English (United Kingdom), French (France), German (Germany), Italian (Italy), Spanish (Spain), Portuguese (Brazil), and Russian… [Continue Reading]

Windows 95 was never much to look at, with its predominately grey, boxy design, but two decades ago it was revolutionary, introducing Windows users to the concept of a Start menu and taskbar for the first time, as well as rudimentary plug-and-play support. Truth be told, it was never the greatest of operating systems (Windows 98 and XP both improved significantly on the foundations it laid down) but if it had a modern makeover, could we forgive its shortcomings? Feast your eyes on Windows 95 -- 2018 Edition, and decide for yourself. SEE ALSO: Windows XP 2018 Edition is the… [Continue Reading]

Amazon’s Fire TV products are very popular with Kodi users, because it’s easy to install the media center software on it, along with any streaming add-ons. Users of Kodi boxes are used to hearing of potential dangers -- some threats of which need to be taken with a pinch of salt -- but there’s a new malware variant that’s infecting Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick devices globally, and which could well be on your device now. SEE ALSO: Google views Kodi as a piracy tool, makes it harder to search for How to install and use the fantastic… [Continue Reading]

It’s fair to say Windows 10 hasn’t had the smoothest of rides. Users were slow to adopt it, and Microsoft’s response to this -- forcing the OS on to users against their will -- didn’t go down at all well. As you’d expect. Windows 10 is now a pretty good operating system, and offers a number of welcome features, but it’s not without its problems, as consumer champion Which? has found. Back in 2016, Which? criticized Microsoft for its hard sell approach to Windows 10 and then for its poor customer support. In a new follow up piece, the charity… [Continue Reading]

It was only a matter of time before Amazon properly combined two of its biggest home grown product lines -- Fire TV and Amazon Echo -- and today we get to see what the end result looks like. Amazon Fire TV Cube is a hands-free 4K Ultra HD streaming media player with Alexa built in, allowing you to control your TV from across the room. You can use your voice to play, pause, and resume content, but that’s not all. In addition, you can control your compatible TV, sound bar, A/V receiver, and cable or satellite box, turn your TV… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft continues to roll out new Windows 10 RS5 builds on a weekly basis. Build 17686 is available to Fast ring Insiders and those who have opted to Skip Ahead. This build includes some privacy improvements, better localized settings, and updates for Windows Mixed Reality. It also includes a number of improvements, fixes, and known issues. SEE ALSO: Would this foldable Surface Phone running Windows 10 make you switch from Android or iPhone? Windows 10 April 2018 Update rolling out at an impressive rate The privacy tweak relates to the microphone. If access to it has been disabled by you… [Continue Reading]

Throughout the entire month of June, BetaNews will giving away thousands of dollars of amazing prizes to celebrate our 20th birthday! Our third giveaway is a Meural Canvas handcrafted 27in digital art frame courtesy of Wellbots. This is a spectacular product built to showcase high quality artwork. Each frame gives you instant access to amazing works of art and photography, and it’s easy to upload your own images to the Wi-Fi enabled canvas. You can change the art on display by using the smartphone or desktop apps or touch-free gesture control. As Wellbots explains: You can change what you see with… [Continue Reading]

Want to get ahead in the workplace? Take control of your career today. Learn new skills and increase your visibility as a leader in your company with the help of this practical, hands-on guide to professional development. You'll find new techniques for being a better leader, tips for writing better emails, rules for running more effective meetings, and much more. Plus, you'll discover how to give presentations that will keep your audience engaged and learn to be a more mindful person. Combined from seven of the best For Dummies books on career development topics, this resource is your one-stop guide to… [Continue Reading]

Having recently set up licensing deals with some major record labels, Facebook has now started introducing new music experiences to the platform. The first of these additions is the ability to share videos with music, but it’s Lip Sync Live which is the more interesting feature. As you can guess from the name, it lets you lip sync to your favorite songs, in real time, and bring in friends and family. To try it out, start a Live video and then choose the Lip Sync Live option. After selecting your song from the list of available tunes, you can add… [Continue Reading]

This year's Apple WWDC has been all about software, with the focus on new versions of iOS, watchOS, tvOS, and of course macOS. The next version of the Mac desktop operating system will be called Mojave -- named after the Californian desert -- and introduces a number of new features and improvements, including a cool new Dark Mode. SEE ALSO: Apple reveals performance-focused iOS 12 for a massive range of iPhones and iPads Apple wants you to spend less time on your iPhone Apple reveals watchOS 5, complete with new Walkie-Talkie app This Dark Mode lets users toggle between a… [Continue Reading]

At Apple's WWDC 2018 keynote today, the tech giant announced a raft of new features coming to iOS 12. If you’re concerned how much time you -- or your family -- spend on your iPhone or iPad, Apple has you covered with its next big release. The company has introduced new options for the Do Not Disturb mode, greater control over notifications, and a Screen Time feature, which lets you see how much you use your phone and apps, and set limits. SEE ALSO: Apple reveals performance-focused iOS 12 for a massive range of iPhones and iPads If you don’t… [Continue Reading]

Windows 10 Mobile might be all but dead and buried, but there have been rumors of a new Surface Phone for a while now. The phone, should it exist, is expected to be a foldable device with a hinge in the middle and two displays, allowing it to switch from phone to tablet mode in seconds. SEE ALSO: Windows XP 2018 Edition is the operating system Microsoft should be making Taking the rumors that abound about the phone, and discovered patents, Harry Dohyun Kim has created a concept of the device, which you can see below (via Windows Latest). His… [Continue Reading]

Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference kicks off today, Monday 4 June, in San Jose, with the big keynote speech scheduled for 10am PDT/1pm EST/6pm BST. As always it will be streamed live so you can tune in at home or (maybe) work. As WWDC is for software developers, Apple doesn’t usually reveal major new hardware, but we are expecting to see a refresh for the iPhone SE, and maybe a new HomePod. Siri may also be getting a new voice. We're also anticipating information on iOS 12, as well as updates to macOS, watchOS and tvOS. There are likely to be… [Continue Reading]

On June 1 1998, BetaNews hit the web for the first time. We’re celebrating the site’s 20th birthday with a huge, month-long giveaway, and there are some truly spectacular products up for grabs. Throughout the month of June, we will be giving away thousands of dollars worth of hardware products, including a mesh Wi-Fi system, Xbox router, digital art frame, robot vacuum cleaner, hardware encrypted hard drive, smart home camera, keyboards, mice, and more! There will be the opportunity to enter multiple times for each product, giving you more chances to win. Below are just some of the the products… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft seems -- finally -- to have got the hang of its six monthly update schedule for Windows 10. Not only has it pushed out the April 2018 Update to over 50 percent of Windows 10 users in a very short space of time, but the next feature update, codenamed Redstone 5, is shaping up very nicely already. The big new feature in this next major update is Sets, and Build 17682 introduce some improvements to it based on Insider feedback. SEE ALSO: Windows 10 April 2018 Update rolling out at an impressive rate Windows XP 2018 Edition is the… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft rolls out feature updates for Windows 10 twice a year, often at quite glacial speeds. The Creators Update, released last Spring, was particularly slow and problematic. By the time its successor arrived, six months later, over a quarter of users (27.5 percent) still didn’t have it. The Fall Creators Update push was, in comparison, much smoother. Helped by the delay in getting the Spring 2018 Update out of the door, it managed to make its way on to more than 92 percent of Windows 10 PCs, making it the most installed Windows 10 update ever. SEE ALSO: How to… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft has been rolling out new Windows 10 RS5 builds on a weekly basis, but it looked as if we weren’t going to get one this week due to what appeared to be a roll-back bug. However, it turns out the problem was actually a deployment issue which Microsoft was able to fix server side. The just-released Build 17677, for Fast ring and Skip Ahead Insiders, has a number of additions. SEE ALSO: Microsoft temporarily disables the Windows 10 April 2018 Update on PCs running Avast antivirus How to rollback and uninstall the Windows 10 April 2018 Update Windows XP… [Continue Reading]

New Windows 10 feature updates get tested thoroughly both internally at Microsoft and by Windows Insiders. However, with so many PC variations and third-party programs, it's all but impossible to identify and eradicate every potential issue. That's why as soon as a new big Windows update gets released we suddenly hear of previously undetected problems arising. In the case of the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, or Windows 10 1803 as it’s also known, we’ve seen users reporting issues with Intel and Toshiba SSDs, and some upgraders have experienced a black screen with no icons -- something I initially encountered… [Continue Reading]

PHP powers the vast majority of the web today. It is by far the most ubiquitous and accessible mature web language, and welcomes thousands of new developers every day. Better PHP Development offers the tools and techniques you need to become a better developer. This collection comprises: How PHP Executes -- from Source Code to Render by Thomas Punt Getting to Know and Love Xdebug by Bruno Škvorc Localization Demystified: Php-Intl for Everyone by Younes Rafie Event Sourcing in a Pinch by Christopher Pitt Disco with Design Patterns: A Fresh Look at Dependency Injection by Reza Lavaryan A Comprehensive Guide to Using Cronjobs by Reza Lavaryan… [Continue Reading]

Ken Seddon is the CEO of the non-profit patent protection network LOT. The organization’s members include Google, Red Hat, Lenovo, Pega and other big players, as well as dozens of startups in areas such as transportation, blockchain, and software. Startups are disproportionately impacted by patent trolls and we chatted with Ken about how a smart, assertive IP strategy can help protect their businesses. BN: Aren’t patent protection strategies really for big companies with big patent portfolios? KS: Not at all. In fact the exact opposite is true. Large companies already have an established product, successes in a market, and a… [Continue Reading]

Last week saw the release of Windows 10 RS5 Build 17666 to Insiders on the Fast and Skip Ahead rings. It was a very impressive build, with a number of big new features, including a dark theme for File Explorer, acrylic in Sets, Cloud Clipboard, and more. Today Microsoft rolls out Build 17672, with a big new change to security. In this new release, the Windows Security Center (WSC) service now requires antivirus products to run as a protected process to register. Ones which don’t will not appear in the Windows Security UI, and Windows Defender Antivirus will run alongside… [Continue Reading]

Today at a launch event in London, OnePlus unveiled its latest "flagship killer", the OnePlus 6, taking solid aim at high-end smartphones from the likes of Apple and Samsung. The OnePlus 6 features a 6.28-inch screen with a 2,280 x 1,080 resolution and 19:9 aspect ratio, (up to) 256GB of storage, and dual 20 megapixel rear camera (sensibly centered now) and a 16 megapixel front-facing shooter. It also includes the top notch found on an increasing number of smartphones these days. OnePlus’s devices have always managed to offer quality at an affordable price, while not quite matching or besting phones… [Continue Reading]

OnePlus is about to lift the curtain on its latest "flagship killer", the OnePlus 6. The new device will be unveiled at the Copper Box Arena in London in what promises to be the company’s largest event ever. As always, we already know a fair bit about the latest iteration thanks to a major leak which revealed the pricing and some photos. The leak came via Amazon Germany, and includes high resolution renders of the glass-bodied phone. It also revealed the device will be available in Mirror Black and Midnight Black, and there could well be a white version too.… [Continue Reading]

Samsung’s S9 and S9+ are very attractive smartphones, but the South Korean company has just introduced two new color editions which make them look even more striking. The devices are currently available in Midnight Black, Titanium Gray, Coral Blue, and Lilac Purple, but soon you’ll also be able to buy them in new Sunrise Gold and Burgundy Red, although the new colors aren’t available everywhere. SEE ALSO: Samsung announces the Galaxy A6 and A6+ with Super AMOLED screens and advanced cameras Inside Samsung d’light, a three-storied futuristic exhibition space in Seoul The Sunrise Gold edition features a satin gloss finish… [Continue Reading]

Cloud computing is proliferating and taking over the world of IT as we know it. Cloud computing also grows more complex and multi-faceted daily. Getting onto the cloud is easy. Getting it right is trickier. You can probably see why a carefully thought-out and detailed approach to cloud computing -- a strategy, in other words -- is so important. Learn more in this ebook brought to you free by Red Hat and Intel. What You Will Learn: Key cloud strategy considerations Architecting to maximize flexibility Unified IT management and more Ten reasons to develop a cloud strategy All you have… [Continue Reading]

Google Wifi solved the problem of patchy Wi-Fi in my home and it’s fair to say I’m a big fan of the company’s mesh solution. The app for it, which is used to set up and monitor your network, is great and the Network Check feature is essential for testing the speed of your internet, the connection quality between points, and the Wi-Fi strength of your mobile device. The Network Check feature is about to get better though, with the ability to measure how each individual connected device is performing on your wireless network. Announcing the new addition, Google says:… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft’s original Surface Hub was plagued with manufacturing problems and delays. The giant wall-mounted Surface, aimed at businesses, was first announced in 2015, with an estimated shipping date of July 1. That date came and went, and Microsoft announced that it would instead arrive January 2016, but then missed that deadline as well, and threw in a price hike for good measure. The product eventually started shipping to businesses in March 2016. Now, just over two years later, a new generation of Surface Hub is being announced. Want to get one for your business? Predictably it’s not going to be… [Continue Reading]

Despite Microsoft ending support for Windows XP back in 2014, it’s still in use around the world. The latest usage figures from NetMarketShare give the vintage OS a decent 6.13 percent share of the market, and it’s still to be found in many businesses. The OS first appeared 17 years ago and the final service pack (SP3) came out a decade ago. Compared to Windows 10, XP now looks incredibly dated, and lacks many of the modern features we take for granted. But what if Microsoft updated it? YouTuber Kamer Kaan Avdan, who has previously created concept videos for Windows… [Continue Reading]

With Redstone 4 builds of Windows 10, the new features and changes came to users quite gradually. That’s certainly not the case with Redstone 5 releases. The latest build rolling out to Insiders on the Fast ring and Skip Ahead today is the perfect case in point. Build 17666 (it's a beast of a build, so the number is apt) is chock full of exciting new features that you really won’t want to wait to get your hands on, including Cloud Clipboard, a dark theme for File Explorer, major improvements to Sets, the ability to search Bing in Notepad and… [Continue Reading]

Today at Google I/O, the search giant unveiled a beta version of Android P, the next release of its mobile operating system. This future OS makes good use of machine learning in a number of ways, including Adaptive Battery, which prioritizes battery power for the apps and services you use the most, and Adaptive Brightness, which learns how you like to set the brightness based on your surroundings. SEE ALSO: Gmail's new 'Smart Compose' feature writes replies for you There's also App Actions which predict what you want to do next, saving you time. As an example, Google says: "Say… [Continue Reading]

Google’s I/O developer conference is underway and there will be plenty of announcements coming from the search giant. Hot on the heels of the big makeover for Gmail comes news of another powerful new feature for the webmail service. Smart Compose uses machine learning to help you write responses to emails. It’s a step beyond the Smart Reply feature the company introduced last year. Whereas Smart Reply offered some simple phrases you could select and then edit as required, Smart Compose suggests complete sentences as you type. If you see a suggestion you like, hit tab and it will be… [Continue Reading]

It’s the season for developer conferences right now. Yesterday, Microsoft’s Build kicked off in Seattle, and today Google takes to the stage to reveal its future plans. The annual Google I/O developer conference begins with a consumer keynote taking place at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California. The company has already made some announcements regarding the likes of Android TV, Google Home, and a new Assistant for Wear OS, but there’s much more to come. Among other things, the search giant will be revealing more about Android P, the next version of its Android operating system, there will be… [Continue Reading]

It’s that time of year again. Microsoft is kicking off its annual Build developer conference in Seattle today, May 7, starting with its opening keynote this morning (a second keynote is happening tomorrow). Last year at Build Microsoft announced the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, new mixed reality headsets and controllers, and 'Project Emma', a wearable for Parkinson's disease sufferers. So what can we expect this year? SEE ALSO: How to rollback and uninstall the Windows 10 April 2018 Update How to upgrade your PC to the Windows 10 April 2018 Update now How to delay the Windows 10 April… [Continue Reading]

Windows 10 offers a number of power plans you can switch to, depending on your needs. 'Balanced' is the recommended choice, but if you have a high-end system and want to really get the most out of it, it’s worth activating the new Ultimate Performance power plan. This new plan is really designed for workstations, but gamers and video editors will benefit from it too. It likely won’t be available to simply switch to on your PC, but you can enable it with this simple hack. SEE ALSO: How to rollback and uninstall the Windows 10 April 2018 Update How… [Continue Reading]

More and more cyber threats keep emerging every day, affecting organizations across the board, targeting the entire spectrum of the Internet. Digital or cyber-extortion has come across as the most serious of such threats as it seeks to profit from criminal activity, akin to blackmail. Preventing Digital Extortion from Packt Publishing will teach you the art of preventing digital extortion and securing confidential data. What You Will Learn: Delve into the various types, stages, and economics of digital extortion Understand the science behind different attacks Understand the gravity of and mechanics behind ransomware and prevent and mitigate data breaches and… [Continue Reading]

Now that the Windows 10 April 2018 Update is done and rolling out to users, Microsoft can focus all of its energy on the next big feature update. Insiders who haven’t yet opted out of the program will, from today, start receiving updates from the Redstone 5 branch. The first of these updates to be rolled out to Insiders on the Fast ring, as well as Skip Ahead, is Build 17661, and this introduces a number of big changes. SEE ALSO: How to rollback and uninstall the Windows 10 April 2018 Update How to upgrade your PC to the Windows… [Continue Reading]

The Windows 10 April 2018 Update is rolling out to users. If you install it and encounter major problems, as some users doubtless will, you might want to go back to your previous version, and wait until the update is a bit less buggy. If you've been using Windows 10 for a while you’ll probably know how to do this, although the process may be slightly different to what you've been used to. SEE ALSO: How to upgrade your PC to the Windows 10 April 2018 Update now How to delay the Windows 10 April 2018 Update Six great hidden… [Continue Reading]

Samsung’s flagship smartphones get a lot of coverage, but not everyone can afford the latest state-of-the-art handsets. The South Korean tech giant offers a number of more affordable devices, and today it announces the Galaxy A6 and A6+. The new phones feature powerful front and rear cameras, Super AMOLED screens and Samsung’s signature Infinity Display, offering an 18.5:9 screen ratio. The larger Galaxy A6+’s Dual Camera has a Live Focus mode, meaning users can control the depth of field and bokeh effect before or after taking a shot. The phone supports Dolby Atmos optimized audio through headphones and includes face… [Continue Reading]

Your web browser remembers every page you visit, making it easy to return to a site you saw earlier. Timeline is a similar idea, but for the latest version of Windows 10. It remembers all of the different tasks, apps and files you’ve been working on, across your various Windows devices. In future it will even work with Microsoft’s many iOS and Android apps, and maybe third-party apps too. SEE ALSO: How to upgrade your PC to the Windows 10 April 2018 Update now How to delay the Windows 10 April 2018 Update Six great hidden features in the Windows… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft has just released another huge update to Windows 10. The April 2018 Update introduces lots of new features and general improvements, including Timeline, and Focus Assist, as well as some lesser known improvements. Of course, a big update like this requires a big download, and the files that Microsoft places on your system don’t get removed afterwards. In other words, the April 2018 Update could be responsible for taking a massive bite out of your free hard drive space -- tens of gigabytes in fact. Fortunately it’s easy enough to reclaim this. SEE ALSO: Windows 10 April 2018 Update… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft has introduced a number of big new features in Windows 10 1803, the April 2018 Update, including Timeline, Focus Assist, and more. With each new OS update, however, some existing features get dropped, or stop being actively developed. Here are all the features that have been removed or deprecated in this latest release. SEE ALSO: Windows 10 April 2018 Update rolling out now How to upgrade your PC to the Windows 10 April 2018 Update now How to delay the Windows 10 April 2018 Update Six great hidden features in the Windows 10 April 2018 Update How to download… [Continue Reading]

Windows 10 April 2018 Update is slowly rolling out to users with compatible systems, but don’t expect to be offered it any time soon. If you can’t wait to try the new features, the good news is Microsoft has updated its Media Creation tool to include the update and you can use this to download Windows 10 now and create your own installation media on either a USB flash drive or DVD. This is particularly handy if you want to perform a clean install, or update multiple computers in quick succession. SEE ALSO: Windows 10 April 2018 Update rolling out… [Continue Reading]

The latest feature update for Windows 10 is available to users now. But while Microsoft might have started the process today, it will likely be quite a while before you’ll be offered it. Only newer PCs will get it at first, and it might take weeks, or months, before it reaches your system. The good news is, if you’re willing to take a bit of risk, you can start the upgrade immediately. SEE ALSO: Windows 10 April 2018 Update rolling out now How to delay the Windows 10 April 2018 Update Six great hidden features in the Windows 10 April… [Continue Reading]

After months of testing, and a bit of a delay due to the last minute discovery of a blocking bug, the Windows 10 April 2018 Update is now available to install. Microsoft is taking things slowly, with the global rollout out via Windows Update beginning on May 8. There’s a good chance you won’t be offered the download immediately, but you will be able to manually update your system from now if you want. SEE ALSO: How to upgrade your PC to the Windows 10 April 2018 Update now How to delay the Windows 10 April 2018 Update Six great… [Continue Reading]

The Windows 10 April 2018 Update, which begins its rollout today, has a number of big new features, most notably Timeline, Focus Assist, and numerous Edge improvements. But some of the lesser known features and changes found in the new feature update are arguably even more welcome. Here are six improvements you should know about. SEE ALSO: Windows 10 April 2018 Update rolling out now How to upgrade your PC to the Windows 10 April 2018 Update now How to delay the Windows 10 April 2018 Update Fix Blurry Apps Some desktop apps can look blurry when your display settings… [Continue Reading]

The latest feature update for Windows 10 is about to start rolling out, although it may be months before it comes to your device. While you might be keen to update your installation, the truth is it’s often best to wait. Big updates like this usually introduce bugs and problems alongside new features, and unless you’re desperate to screw up your copy of Windows 10, I’d recommend holding off for a while. If you’re not in a hurry to get the April 2018 Update you can delay it. SEE ALSO: Windows 10 April 2018 Update rolling out now How to… [Continue Reading]

Having finally named the next big feature update for Windows 10, and come up with a release date for it too, Microsoft now has to actually get it ready for non-Insiders. The RTM build, Build 17134, has already made its way through the Fast, Slow and Release Preview rings, and Microsoft has today pushed out an update which will tidy things up a little. SEE ALSO: Microsoft officially announces the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, available on April 30 The Fall Creators Update is now easily the most installed Windows 10 update ever Microsoft releases Windows 10 Redstone 5 Build… [Continue Reading]

For a long time, it was believed that the next big feature update for Windows 10 would be called the Spring Creators Update, following in the footsteps of the Fall Creators Update, and the Creators Update. Then it was discovered that Microsoft was intending to call it the April Update, even though it looked increasingly like the new release wouldn’t arrive this month. Finally though, we have an official name, and a release date. SEE ALSO: The Fall Creators Update is now easily the most installed Windows 10 update ever Microsoft releases Windows 10 Redstone 5 Build 17655 for Skip… [Continue Reading]

By now, most Windows 10 users would have been expecting to either be running the Spring Creators Update/April Update (take your pick of the name), or be waiting to be offered it. However, that’s not the case. With no word from Microsoft on exactly when the new feature update will arrive, the Fall Creators Update remains the latest (non-Insider) version of Windows 10. And it also has the greatest usage share of any Windows 10 update, ever. Its predecessor, the Creators Update, suffered from a slow and occasionally problematic rollout. A quarter of Windows 10 users still didn’t have it… [Continue Reading]

While we’re still waiting for a release date for the next feature update of Windows 10 -- the April Update expected in May -- Microsoft has rolled out another Redstone 5 build for Insiders who have opted to Skip Ahead. Build 17655 introduces a makeover for mobile broadband (LTE) connectivity and there’s a number of other changes and fixes to be aware of. Microsoft is transforming the networking stack after 20 years through the Net Adapter framework and in Build 17655 the software giant introduces a new Mobile Broadband (MBB) USB class driver based on this. If you have a… [Continue Reading]

While the likes of Google and Apple are making some headway in the home voice assistant market, Amazon remains king. Part of the reason for its success (beyond simply being the first to market) is the retail giant offers a range of Alexa compatible devices to suit every need and budget. Today, it adds another device to its range, targeting a different, but inevitable demographic -- Echo Dot Kids Edition. This new Echo Dot is -- from a technology point of view -- the same as other Echo Dots, but because it’s aimed specifically at children it has some important… [Continue Reading]

I recently spent an amazing fortnight in South Korea. For a tech enthusiast such as myself, it was a no brainer that at some point I would visit Samsung d’light, a three storied exhibition space in the lower portion of one of the company’s massive buildings in Seocho-Gu, Seoul. Here you can try out different products, including VR, and see what Samsung is working on. It's a glimpse of the future. When you first enter Samsung d’light (the name is a combination of digital and light) you’re given a smart wrist band which you have to register. This is used… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft is busy trying to kill the last remaining -- but problematic -- bugs in the Spring Creators Update (or whatever it ends up being called) but work is still continuing apace on its successor. Build 17650 for the Redstone 5 branch introduces a number of changes and fixes, including a Fluent Design refresh for the Windows Defender Security Center. SEE ALSO: This 1920's radio runs Windows 10 Microsoft releases new Windows 10 Spring Creators Update RTM candidate, Build 17134 Microsoft Windows 10 gains Linux/WSL Console copy and paste functionality This refresh includes adjustments to the spacing and padding around… [Continue Reading]

I have some friends who own, and regularly use, a 1920s wind up gramophone. It’s a great piece of audio equipment and there’s something very satisfying about lifting the arm and dropping the needle down on a 78 record and enjoying the tinny sound it produces. Getting use out of a similar-era radio isn’t as easy, which is why Derek Traxler, the owner of a computer store and repair shop in Uptown Minneapolis, decided to go to rather extreme measures to breathe new life into his 1920’s battery-powered Claratone tube radio. In a bid to turn it into an internet… [Continue Reading]

Opera launched its VPN app for Android and iOS two years ago. The free app provided users with secure VPN encryption to the web (with support for spoofing one of five countries), plus the blocking of both ads and tracking cookies. At a time when privacy is at the forefront of a lot of people’s minds, and VPNs are growing in popularity, it will perhaps come as a surprise to hear that Opera has made the decision to discontinue its app as of April 30. Yes, that’s the end of this month. Announcing the move, Opera says: We’re discontinuing the… [Continue Reading]

Windows 10 Redstone 4 Build 17133 was widely thought to be the RTM for the forthcoming Spring Creators Update after it rolled out to Insiders on the Fast, Slow, and Release Preview rings in quick succession. However, Microsoft’s discovery of a blocking bug threw a rather large spanner in the works and delayed the release of the forthcoming feature update. Last week, the presence of a potentially new RTM was discovered, and Microsoft is now rolling out that release, Build 17134, to Insiders on the Fast ring. Announcing the new build, Insider’s chief Dona Sarkar says: Today, we are releasing… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft only released Windows 10 Spring Creators Update (Redstone 4) Build 17133 to the Fast ring a few days ago, but it’s already been cleared for the Slow ring. However, as part of some deployment testing, not everyone on the Slow ring will receive it immediately. You will be able to force the update if you want to though. SEE ALSO: Microsoft releases Windows 10 Redstone 5 Build 17634 for Skip Ahead Windows boss Terry Myerson leaves Microsoft as part of a major shakeup Microsoft releases Windows 10 Spring Creators Update Build 17133 to the Fast ring Microsoft admits Windows… [Continue Reading]

The Redstone 4 branch of Windows 10 -- the Spring Creators Update -- has reached RTM, and will begin rolling out to non-Insiders around the April 10. For those users already looking to the future, Microsoft is already pushing out builds for the following feature update, codenamed Redstone 5. Build 17634, for users on the Skip Ahead ring, adds search functionality to the calendar and a number of other improvements and fixes. SEE ALSO: Windows boss Terry Myerson leaves Microsoft as part of a major shakeup Microsoft releases Windows 10 Spring Creators Update Build 17133 to the Fast ring Microsoft… [Continue Reading]

Prolific software developer Nir Sofer has created 10 more new tools, but they aren’t currently linked to on his site, or anywhere else. They are somewhere on the NirSoft site, but finding them won’t be easy. Do you have what it takes? Sofer explains that in order to find these new tools, "you need to have some programming knowledge, understanding of Web technology, and other skills." If you can’t find them all, don’t worry, as they will be published officially on the NirSoft site on April 1 (and no, it’s not an April Fool’s). To get you started, NirSoft has… [Continue Reading]

Terry Myerson, the executive vice president of Windows, is to leave Microsoft "in the coming months". Myerson has been at Microsoft for 21 years, and has been involved in Windows Phone, Windows 10, Xbox One, and Surface devices. His departure is part of a large reorganization at Microsoft that sees Rajesh Jha, the executive VP of Microsoft Office products, expanding his responsibilities to take over Myerson's role, and Panos Panay serving as the company’s Chief Product Officer. In an email to staff, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella spoke of Myerson’s departure, saying: "His strong contributions to Microsoft over 21 years from… [Continue Reading]

Kodi is a perfectly legal, open source media center. It can play any kind of audio and video, and is packed with features. However, its support for third-party add-ons, including those that allow for illegal streaming, means that it’s often viewed as being synonymous with piracy. Google frequently tweaks its search algorithm to downgrade pirate related terms, and Kodi's reputation -- deserved or not -- means it has become a victim of this approach. SEE ALSO: Kodi 18 (Leia) Alpha 1 arrives -- download it now! How to install and use the fantastic Kodi alternative that's gaining in popularity Kodi… [Continue Reading]

We're edging ever closer to the release of the Windows 10 Spring Creators Update, due out next month. It's believed we're at the RTM phase now, but Microsoft will still be issuing updates to Insiders. Today, Build 17133 arrives for those on the Fast ring, and just like in Build 17128, which came out late last week, it’s missing the watermark at the lower right-hand corner of the desktop. Always a sign that we’re nearly ready for the final release. SEE ALSO: Cortana Show Me app guides you through Windows 10's settings Microsoft admits Windows 10 didn't overtake Windows 7… [Continue Reading]

Apple has today been hosting an education-focused event at the Lane Tech College Prep High School in Chicago, and as expected it has taken the wraps off a brand new iPad. The new device is designed to take on Google’s Chromebooks in the classroom, but will no doubt find an appreciative audience outside of the education system. The new 9.7in iPad, Apple’s most affordable, works with the Apple Pencil, the first non-Pro device to do so. Pages, Keynote, and Numbers have all been updated with Pencil support too. The new iPad, called simply iPad, has got a 64-bit A10 Fusion… [Continue Reading]

If you’re not sure how to do something with Windows 10, there are plenty of guides to be found on the web. Today, however, Microsoft is launching a new app called Cortana Show Me which is designed to guide you through Windows 10 settings. SEE ALSO: Microsoft releases Windows 10 Spring Creators Update Build 17128 to the Fast ring, and the watermark has gone! This early version lets you launch guides directly from the app homepage, but voice entry points will be added later. The app is currently available in English (US and UK) and in German. There are 15… [Continue Reading]

As we edge ever nearer to the final release of the Windows 10 Spring Creators Update, Microsoft is upping the rate that new builds arrive to Insiders on the Fast ring. Three days ago saw the arrival of Build 17127, and today, hot on the heels of that, comes Build 17128. SEE ALSO: Microsoft admits Windows 10 didn't overtake Windows 7 when it originally claimed As you might expect from the incremental increase in build numbers, there’s not much to report here. In fact, the only difference between the two builds is the watermark in the corner of the desktop… [Continue Reading]

If you want to know how well Windows 10 is doing in terms of share, you have a number of choices. You can view the figures from StatCounter, which show Windows 10 now ahead of Windows 7, or you can view the figures from NetMarketShare, which show Windows 7 still comfortably in the lead. You can also look at the figures from Steam, which show the gamer’s perspective, but recently that has been skewed with a large influx of Chinese gamers using Windows 7. Microsoft used to offer its own figures, but stopped updating those in February 2017. However, after… [Continue Reading]

Computer networks are increasing at an exponential rate and the most challenging factor organizations are currently facing is network security. Breaching a network is not considered an ingenious effort anymore, so it is very important to gain expertise in securing your network. Applied Network Security from Packt Publishing will help you master the art of detecting and averting advanced network security attacks and techniques. What You Will Learn: Use SET to clone webpages including the login page Understand the concept of Wi-Fi cracking and use PCAP file to obtain passwords Attack using a USB as payload injector Familiarize yourself with… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft is busy putting the finishing touches to the Windows 10 Spring Creators Update, aka Redstone 4, but it’s already hard at work on the follow up. Redstone 5 will introduce a number of major features including Sets and Cloud Clipboard, but as we discovered a week ago, when Build 17623 rolled out, it could well contain a nasty surprise too. Microsoft is currently forcing Windows Mail users on the Skip Ahead ring to open links in Edge, even if they prefer to use another browser. Predictably, this proved to be an unpopular move and it will be interesting to… [Continue Reading]

Following the recent Cambridge Analytica scandal, you can't have failed to notice there’s a backlash against Facebook at the moment, with the #DeleteFacebook movement gathering serious momentum. Even WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton, who sold his app to Facebook for $19 billion in 2014, appeared to back it with a tweet in which he declared "It is time. #deletefacebook". Unless you don’t use it very often, deleting Facebook is a major step, and one that many people will think is taking things too far. But if you do want to take greater control over your privacy settings you might want to… [Continue Reading]

New builds for the Spring Creators Update are coming thick and fast now, as Microsoft edges ever nearer to the release date for the next version of Windows 10. Today’s new release, Build 17127, fixes a number of issues, but also adds some improvements to Cortana, including a new profile page, and an updated Notebook design for all markets. SEE ALSO: Microsoft has found a way to significantly speed up installation of the Windows 10 Spring Creators Update Windows 10 Redstone 5 Build 17623 for Skip Ahead forces users to use Edge Windows 10 Spring Creators Update Build 17115 ISO… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft rolls out two big feature updates for Windows 10 a year -- one around April-time, and another around October. These introduce new features, a lot of big changes, and improvements across the board. Due to the size of the updates, the upgrade process takes quite some time, but Microsoft is working to reduce how long you’re "offline" for. SEE ALSO: Windows 10 Redstone 5 Build 17623 for Skip Ahead forces users to use Edge Microsoft releases Windows 10 Spring Creators Update Build 17123 to the Fast ring Windows 10 Spring Creators Update Build 17115 ISO images available now There… [Continue Reading]

The next big feature update of Windows 10 -- widely expected to be called the Spring Creators Update -- is due out next month. Microsoft is hard at work putting the finishing touches to it -- another new build arrives today -- but still has time to introduce some new additions. Microsoft Build 17120 arrived on the Fast ring three days ago, and Microsoft has already deemed it ready for the Slow ring too. This build adds some improvements to the Windows Defender Application Guard (WDAG), its virtualization-based security technology which helps to protect enterprises from advanced attacks that can… [Continue Reading]

In addition to releasing a new Windows 10 Redstone 5 build to the Insiders on Skip Ahead, Microsoft today also rolls out a new Spring Creators Update build for Insiders on the Fast ring. Build 17123 comes just three days after Build 17120, and fixes a number of issues. It also introduces High Efficiency Image File Format (HEIF) for Windows 10 and the Photos app. SEE ALSO: Windows 10 Redstone 5 Build 17623 for Skip Ahead has a nasty surprise Windows 10 Spring Creators Update Build 17115 ISO images available now Microsoft releases Windows 10 Spring Creators Update Build 17120… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft is still putting the finishing touches to its next big Windows 10 feature update -- Redstone 4, aka the Spring Creators Update -- due out next month, but in the meantime, work is already well underway on the update to follow that, Redstone 5. We've already seen the introduction of one big new feature -- Sets in Build 17618 -- and today’s new release, Build 17623, also adds some new features and improvements, as well as one particularly nasty addition. SEE ALSO: Windows 10 Spring Creators Update Build 17115 ISO images available now Microsoft releases Windows 10 Spring Creators… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft is still putting the finishing touches to its next big Windows 10 feature update -- Redstone 4, aka the Spring Creators Update -- due out next month, but in the meantime, work is already well underway on the update to follow that, Redstone 5. We've already seen the introduction of one big new feature -- Sets in Build 17618 -- and today’s new release, Build 17623, also adds some new features and improvements, as well as one particularly nasty addition. SEE ALSO: Windows 10 Spring Creators Update Build 17115 ISO images available now Microsoft releases Windows 10 Spring Creators… [Continue Reading]

For the past three years, the Raspberry Pi Foundation has released new products around its birthday (28 February). It didn’t this year due to snow and other reasons, but a fortnight later -- on Pi Day -- it’s time for the wraps to come off the latest Raspberry Pi. The Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ (Raspberry Pi 3B+ for short) is the successor to the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B, and improves on that device in a number of ways, while keeping the same low price ($35). SEE ALSO: Beautiful blue Raspberry Pi 3 goes on sale, but you (probably)… [Continue Reading]

There are a fair number of new features and improvements to look forward to in the forthcoming Spring Creators Update for Windows 10, most notably the new Timeline feature, Near Share, and Focus Assist. If you’re thinking of joining the Windows 10 Insider program, or you just want to do a clean install with an up to date version of the Spring Creators Update, the good news is Microsoft has released a new ISO image. SEE ALSO: Microsoft releases Windows 10 Spring Creators Update Build 17120 to the Fast ring Microsoft releases Windows 10 Spring Update (RS4) Build 17115 for… [Continue Reading]

The next big feature update of Windows 10 -- widely expected to be called the Spring Creators Update -- is due out next month. Microsoft is hard at work putting the finishing touches to it, but still has time to introduce some new additions. In Build 17120, Microsoft has added some improvements to the Windows Defender Application Guard (WDAG), its virtualization-based security technology which helps to protect enterprises from advanced attacks that can infiltrate networks and devices via the Internet. SEE ALSO: Microsoft releases Windows 10 Spring Update (RS4) Build 17115 for the Fast ring, with big privacy changes [Updated]… [Continue Reading]

Google Glass teased an interesting future, but failed to deliver on its promise. Today, Toshiba picks up where Glass left off, with a pair of Augmented Reality (AR) glasses powered by a mini Windows 10 PC. The glasses link together a dynaEdge AR100 Head Mounted Display (HMD) with a dynaEdge DE-100 Mobile Mini PC, which is essentially a handheld, battery-powered Windows 10 system. The dynaEdge AR Smart Glasses are designed for enterprise customers and promise document viewing, live video calls, see-what-I-see, photo/video capture, alerts/messaging, workflow instruction and barcode scanning capabilities. The Toshiba AR100 Head Mounted Display weighs less than two… [Continue Reading]

Having confirmed that Windows 10 S is going to become a "mode" in future versions of Windows 10, rather than a standalone product, Microsoft has revealed more about its future plans for the soon-to-be ex-operating system. While Windows 10 S, in its current form, has been perceived by many as a flop, Joe Belfiore, Corporate Vice President, Windows, says, "we’ve received great feedback from customers and partners on Windows 10 S. Customers love the security, faster boot time, better battery life and consistent performance over time." Although he would say that. SEE ALSO: Microsoft confirms Windows 10 S will become… [Continue Reading]

While Microsoft is busy putting the finishing touches to the Windows 10 Spring Update, codenamed Redstone 4, work is well underway on its successor, due around October time. Windows Insiders who opted to "skip ahead" can try out early Redstone 5 builds, and today Microsoft releases Build 17618 on that branch. Usually at this stage in development there’s nothing much to get excited about, but that’s not the case here. SEE ALSO: Microsoft confirms Windows 10 S will become a 'mode' of Windows 10 next year Microsoft releases Windows 10 Spring Update (RS4) Build 17115 for the Fast ring, with… [Continue Reading]

It was reported last month that Microsoft was planning to transition its education-focused Windows 10 S from a separate operating system into a "mode" in existing versions of Windows 10. It was a move that surprised no one. Windows 10 S is a locked down version of Windows 10 that can only run UWP apps from the Microsoft Store, and while that makes it more secure, it also significantly limits what can be done with the OS. SEE ALSO: NetMarketShare: Windows 10 lost share last month Windows 10 S is mostly found on the Surface Laptop and a number of… [Continue Reading]

New builds for the next big feature update of Windows 10 are coming thick and fast. Build 17112 was released last Friday, and today Build 17115 makes its way on to the Fast ring. Builds rolled out this close to official launch tend to just be about fixing bugs and adding polish, but 17115 actually makes a big change to the privacy screen settings layout. SEE ALSO: Surprise! Microsoft releases Windows 10 Spring Update Build 17112 for the Fast ring NetMarketShare: Windows 10 lost share last month StatCounter: Windows 10 continues its meteoric climb Microsoft explains that the "new design… [Continue Reading]

Kodi continues to be in the news, often for all the wrong reasons. The media center software is synonymous with piracy, even though you need to install third-party add-ons to use it for illegal streaming purposes. Today, however, there’s good news for Kodi users -- the team behind the software releases the first version of Kodi 18 (Leia), the next generation of its media center software, and you can download the brand new build now. SEE ALSO: How to install and use the fantastic Kodi alternative that's gaining in popularity This release is actually an alpha -- Alpha 1 in fact… [Continue Reading]

Kodi continues to be in the news, often for all the wrong reasons. The media center software is synonymous with piracy, even though you need to install third-party add-ons to use it for illegal streaming purposes. Today, however, there’s good news for Kodi users -- the team behind the software releases the first version of Kodi 18 (Leia), the next generation of its media center software, and you can download the brand new build now. SEE ALSO: How to install and use the fantastic Kodi alternative that's gaining in popularity This release is actually an alpha -- Alpha 1 in fact… [Continue Reading]

Three days ago, Microsoft rolled out Build 17110 for Windows 10 Insiders on the Fast ring. It offered a number of improvements, and also came with an unexpected annoyance -- the Microsoft Store was missing for some users. Today, Microsoft rolls out a surprise new update -- Build 17112. It has a number of fixes, but not for the Store issue unfortunately. It also introduces a couple of new problems. SEE ALSO: Here's how to fix the missing Store problem in Windows 10 Build 17110 NetMarketShare: Windows 10 lost share last month StatCounter: Windows 10 continues its meteoric climb Microsoft… [Continue Reading]

The Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities affected millions of processors around the world, and the "fixes" that followed compounded the problems with reports of the patches bricking AMD PCs, and Ubuntu systems, and causing major slowdowns. Intel even told customers to stop installing the patches due to 'unpredictable' reboot issues. In a new blog post, Microsoft provides an update on the state of the situation, and has some good news for Windows 1o users. SEE ALSO: This is the easiest way to check if your Windows PC is vulnerable to Spectre and Meltdown John Cable, Director of Program Management, Windows Servicing… [Continue Reading]

Shortly after Microsoft released the latest Windows 10 preview build to Insiders on the Fast ring, reports started coming in that the Store was missing for a number of users. The problem wasn’t one of those listed in the known issues, and Microsoft announced that it was investigating. If you’re on the new build and the Store is missing for you, there is now a workaround you can try. SEE ALSO: Microsoft releases Windows 10 Spring Creators Update (Redstone 4) Build 17110 for the Fast ring Jason Howard, Senior Program Manager on the Windows Insider Engineering Team, has detailed a… [Continue Reading]

While NetMarketShare has Windows 10 stumbling backwards in February, StatCounter shows the opposite. Rather than the new OS losing share, the Irish analyst firm has Windows 10 shooting upwards, past Windows 7. That’s good news for Microsoft as it would have been rather embarrassing if Windows 7 had reclaimed the crown after only one month. SEE ALSO: NetMarketShare: Windows 10 lost share last month According to StatCounter’s figures for February, Windows 10 went from 42.78 percent to 43.53 percent, an increase of 0.75 percentage points. In January its share grew by 1.09. Windows 7 lost 0.27 percentage points last month,… [Continue Reading]

Depending on which analyst firm you believe, Windows 10 either finally overtook Windows 7 in January (StatCounter), or it simply narrowed the gap a little more (NetMarketShare). If you were expecting NetMarketShare’s latest figures to show Windows 10 besting Windows 7 there as well this month, you are in for a nasty surprise as its numbers for February have the OS slipping into reverse gear and actually losing share. SEE ALSO: Fall Creators Update now on 85 percent of Windows 10 PCs According to the company, in February, Windows 10 went from 34.29 percent to 34.06 percent, a drop of… [Continue Reading]

Amazon is a company that isn’t afraid to take risks, and try new things. Some of its ideas -- like the Echo -- paid off handsomely, while other gambles, like the Amazon Fire Phone, failed miserably. Amazon is also happy to splash the cash to expand its reach, buying Whole Foods in 2017, and Ring this week. But where can Amazon go next? LendEDU ran a poll of 1,000 American consumers who had purchased something from Amazon in the last 30 days, and asked them whether they’d be interested in using an Amazon-created cryptocurrency for purchases, or banking with the… [Continue Reading]

We’re pretty much on the home straight for the next big feature update of Windows 10. Rumored to be called the Spring Creators Update, the final release on the Redstone 4 branch will introduce a lot of new features and improvements to Microsoft’s newest OS. Today's Insider build polishes things up and adds some improvements for enterprise customers. Build 17110 for Insiders on the Fast ring will allow enterprises to run custom actions/scripts synchronously during pre-install (before system and device compatibility scans run) and pre-commit (before the system reboots into the offline phase). Enterprises will also be able to run… [Continue Reading]

Public Cloud is a massive business for tech giants like Amazon, Microsoft and Google. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is currently the clear leader, with 62 percent share, followed by Microsoft Azure, on 20 percent, and Google on just 12 percent. However, Google has scored an important win over Microsoft, replacing its rival as the cloud infrastructure service Apple relies on for its own iCloud services. It has been rumored for a while that Google was now powering iCloud, but Apple -- being Apple -- refused to confirm nor deny that it had moved away from Microsoft Azure. However, the latest… [Continue Reading]

We’re edging ever closer to the release of the next big Windows 10 feature update. Rumored to be called the Spring Creators Update, it includes a number of high profile new features and improvements. Last week, Microsoft rolled out two new Insider builds -- one for those on the Fast ring, and another for those who opted to Skip Ahead (the first in the Redstone 5 branch). Today, the software giant delivers a build just for those on the Fast ring. SEE ALSO: Fall Creators Update now on 85 percent of Windows 10 PCs As you’ll likely expect, with Build… [Continue Reading]

If you grew up in the UK in the 1980s, you’re probably familiar with the Acorn Computers brand. The company produced a number of popular microcomputers, such as the Acorn Electron and the Acorn Archimedes. It’s best known as the maker of the BBC Micro -- the education focused computer found in many schools across the country (and which was the inspiration for the Raspberry Pi). Brand nostalgia is a big thing right now, with modern versions of old computers -- like the ZX Spectrum and C64 -- making their way on to the market. If you were an Acorn… [Continue Reading]

It won’t be too long now until the next big feature update for Windows 10 rolls out. Expected to be called the Spring Creators Update, this introduces a number of big features, most notably Timeline, a welcome addition that lets you resume past activities you started on your main PC, other Windows PCs, or iOS/Android devices. In preparation for the new feature update, Microsoft has been pushing the previous one -- The Fall Creators Update -- onto as many compatible systems as possible. The Creators Update rollout was slow and occasionally problematic. The Fall Creators Update rollout in comparison has… [Continue Reading]

Last year, the UK’s National Health Service was hit hard by the WannaCry/WannaCrypt ransomware attack that went on to infect computers around the world. The attack was so bad that Microsoft took the unprecedented step of patching Windows XP to try and stem the spread of the problem. While it first believed that NHS computers running XP were the source of the issue, it turned out to be Windows 7 systems that were mostly to blame. PCs running Windows 10 were immune from the attack. You would have thought, having been through such a terrible experience, that the NHS would… [Continue Reading]

It’s a fact that today’s mobile phones boast way more computing power than the systems used by NASA to put a man on the moon in the 1960s. The iPhone 6, released in 2014, is 32,600 times quicker than the speediest Apollo-era computers and capable of performing instructions a whopping 120,000,000 times faster. So in a race against seven computers from the past 75 years, you’d imagine the iPhone 6 would wipe the floor with an Apple II from 1977, a 1990s PC running Windows 98, and a £12.99 BBC Micro:Bit, right? Wrong. The National Museum of Computing at Bletchley… [Continue Reading]

The US Department of Defense has decreed that the Air Force must complete its migration to Windows 10 by March 31 2018. Failure to do so will result in any systems not running Microsoft’s latest operating system being denied access to the Air Force Network. However, because Windows 10 is not compatible with many of the Air Force’s existing systems, a significant number of computers will need to be replaced in order to hit the deadline. SEE ALSO: Microsoft releases Windows 10 Redstone 4 Build 17101 for the Fast ring and Redstone 5 Build 17604 for Skip Ahead Despite this… [Continue Reading]

Windows 10 Insider Preview builds have been arriving much less frequently with the Redstone 4 branch than with Redstone 3 (Fall Creators Update), but as we get nearer to the official release of the next feature update that is likely to change. Today, Microsoft rolls out two new builds, just a week after the last one. These are Build 17101 for Insiders on the Fast ring, and Build 17604 for those who have opted to Skip Ahead -- that is elected to bypass builds for RS4 and move straight to RS5. SEE ALSO: Official Amazon Music app for Windows 10… [Continue Reading]

Black Mirror is one of Netflix’s better original series. The show presents a nightmarish vision of modern society and new technologies and in the latest season, one episode in particular stood out for a lot of people. In Hang the DJ, a dating system called 'Coach' not only pairs up singletons, it reveals how long they have together. SEE ALSO: Which Black Mirror technologies would you be willing to actually use? In time for Valentine’s Day, there’s now a Coach website which will let you check the expiry date for you and your partner. To use it, go to the… [Continue Reading]

Part of the reason why Windows 10 S failed was because it only allowed software from the Microsoft Store and the Store is famously lacking in quality apps. It’s always news when a big name app arrives in the Store, and today Amazon Music debuts there for users in the US, UK, Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Spain and Japan. Microsoft announces the latest addition, saying: With Amazon Music on Windows 10, you can enjoy, discover, and share millions of songs from today’s chart-topping artists wherever and whenever you want. Amazon Music includes two streaming service options, Amazon Music Unlimited and… [Continue Reading]

Kodi is a superb, and very flexible free media center, but in the past year or so legal crackdowns, court cases, vanishing add-ons and other bad publicity have made people wary of it, and understandably so. It’s not illegal to use Kodi, but installing add-ons that let you stream copyrighted content for free could get you into trouble. In the wake of all this bad publicity, rival streaming service Mobdro has been gaining in popularity. The app can be installed on any Android device, including phones, tablets, Amazon's Fire TV Stick, and Google's Chromecast 2. SEE ALSO: TVAddons releases new… [Continue Reading]

I first reviewed Woojer three years ago when it was a matchbox-sized subwoofer that could be worn in a choice of ways -- in the center of your chest, the base of your spine, or against your hipbone or collarbone. Since then, the product has undergone a massive change, and is now a large, adjustable strap which you wear across your body (there’s also a vest version). Despite having changed form significantly, the idea behind Woojer remains the same -- which is to help you feel sound, not just hear it. As I explained in my original review: Music at… [Continue Reading]

When Microsoft was working on what became the Fall Creators Update, we typically saw weekly builds rolling out to Insiders on the Fast ring. With the Redstone 4 branch -- rumored to be called the Spring Creators Update -- new builds are coming out at a much slower rate. Two weeks after Build 17083 arrived, Microsoft has rolled out new Build 17093 to Insiders on the Fast ring and Skip Ahead. SEE ALSO: StatCounter: Windows 10 finally overtakes Windows 7 NetMarketShare: Windows 10 still some way behind Windows 7 New in this version are improvements to the Game Bar which… [Continue Reading]

Your LinkedIn profile is essentially a platform to shape how others see you, highlight your abilities, products, or services, and explain how your work impacts lives. Whether your goal is job search, branding, reputation management, or sales, people are Googling you -- and your LinkedIn profile is more often than not their first point of contact. With a focus on who you are, the value you deliver, and the culture you cultivate, the profile you'll create with the help of this guide will make that first connection a positive one -- giving you a better chance to see results. SEE… [Continue Reading]

Without machine learning, fraud detection, web search results, real-time ads on web pages, credit scoring, automation, and email spam filtering wouldn't be possible. Covering the entry-level topics needed to get you familiar with the basic concepts of machine learning, Machine Learning For Dummies will quickly help you make sense of the programming languages and tools. SEE ALSO: Get 'LinkedIn Profile Optimization For Dummies' ($14 value) FREE for a limited time The ebook will help you: Grasp how day-to-day activities are powered by machine learning Learn to 'speak' certain languages, such as Python and R, to teach machines to perform pattern-oriented… [Continue Reading]

Unofficial Kodi add-on provider TVAddons promised to 'change how people access streaming media forever', and two weeks ago it released a new GitHub Browser to make it easier to browse and install Kodi addons. Following feedback from users, the site has now introduced an updated standalone Git Browser for Kodi with fixes and new functions. SEE ALSO: TVAddons launches new GitHub Browser to deliver Kodi addons The new browser makes it possible to install any Kodi addon directly from its developer's own GitHub repository, something TVAddons hopes will make its community "more resilient and decentralized." Explaining the work that went… [Continue Reading]

If you believe StatCounter’s numbers, Windows 10 finally overtook Windows 7 in January. However, if you tend to trust NetMarketShare’s monthly desktop operating system figures more, well, then it didn’t. According to the analyst firm’s numbers, in January Windows 10 narrowed the gap by a fair margin, but Windows 7 is still some way in the lead. SEE ALSO: StatCounter: Windows 10 finally overtakes Windows 7 In December, Windows 10 had 32.93 percent share, and this increased to 34.29 percent last month, a rise of 1.36 percentage points. Windows 7 had 43.08 percent share in December, which fell to 42.39… [Continue Reading]

Every month, StatCounter reports on the state of the desktop operating system market. Since October last year, the analyst company’s figures have shown the gap between Windows 10 and Windows 7 narrowing. It looked as if the newer OS would overtake the older one in November, but that didn’t happen, and it didn’t happen in December either. However, in January, according to StatCounter, Windows 10 finally claimed the top spot. SEE ALSO: NetMarketShare: Windows 10 still some behind Windows 7 Fall Creators Update on nearly 75 percent of all Windows 10 PCs The latest figures show Windows 10 on 42.78… [Continue Reading]

Performance matters. Technology may allow us to "go bigger", but maybe not necessarily be better when it comes to performance. Servers and Internet connections are getting more sophisticated, and as a result, we feel the need to keep filling them. However, this isn’t the time to become lazy. This is the time to utilize the amazing tools that are available for making websites faster, and to learn how to improve user experience and satisfaction. Front-End Performance is a practical collection of tutorials on front-end website performance for web developers. It’s packed with useful, real world hints and tips that you… [Continue Reading]

Satirical Netflix anthology series Black Mirror (named after the reflection you see when staring at a phone with the screen off) presents a nightmarish vision of modern society and new technologies. In each standalone episode, writer Charlie Brooker focuses on near-future technological innovations, like an immersive dating app that tells you when your relationship will end, a synthetic replica of a deceased loved one, and a virtual reality world for dead people. If you’ve ever watched the show and thought, 'I’d use that!' about a particular piece of future tech, you’re not alone. YouGov surveyed over a thousand British adults… [Continue Reading]

I usually have at least two Gmail windows open in my browser. One for my BetaNews email, and one for my personal account. There’s never been an easy way of knowing which is which in a tab-filled browser without clicking on one of the tabs, but this has now changed. The icon on regular Gmail accounts is still red, but the icon for corporate Gmail accounts (G Suite), or Gmail with a custom domain, has turned blue. Whether this a permanent (and welcome) change, or just something Google is trialing I’m not sure, but enabling or disabling the blue icon… [Continue Reading]

If you want to keep your personal data safe and secure, then a hardware encrypted drive is your best bet. Secure drives, like the Apricorn Aegis Secure Key 3z, require you to enter a PIN into the integrated keypad to unlock the drive. These also come with a variety of security measures to make sure they can’t be brute forced. If you prefer a different way of securing your data -- one that doesn’t require remembering a long PIN -- then you might prefer a biometric solution like the Aegis Bio 3.0. This a USB drive with a built-in finger… [Continue Reading]

The Windows 10 Creators Update rollout was a bit of a mess. Shortly after it launched, Microsoft warned people not to install it, and a quarter of Windows 10 users still didn’t have it by the time its successor, the Fall Creators Update, arrived last October. Microsoft has definitely learned its lessons this time around however, as the Fall Creators Update is being installed at a much faster rate. According to AdDuplex, last month (a mere two months after it launched), the Fall Creators Update was already on half of all Windows 10 PCs in use, and in January, that… [Continue Reading]

Windows Insiders have got used to Fast ring releases arriving at a slower pace lately, but it looks as if Microsoft might be stepping on the gas once more, as Build 17083 arrives a mere fortnight after 17074. The latest build comes with lots of new features and improvements, including the additional privacy options announced earlier. Among the big new changes in this build are improvements to the Timeline feature rolled out in Build 17063, a month ago. You can now delete all activities from a given hour or day directly from the context menu, and a new settings option… [Continue Reading]

When Microsoft first launched Windows 10 back in 2015, one of the big complaints people had about the new operating system was that it spied on users. Really spied on them. Following the inevitable backlash, the software giant has reigned in this snooping with each new feature update, and the next big release -- codenamed Redstone 4 -- will take things further when it arrives in a few months' time. In a new blog post, Marisa Rogers, WDG Privacy Officer, explains how Microsoft will be introducing new tools to inform and empower users about their privacy options. Windows Insiders will… [Continue Reading]

If you have important data that you need to have easy access to at all times, carrying it around on a USB flash drive makes sense. Unfortunately, these tiny storage devices are easily lost, and software encryption methods may not be 100 percent reliable. If you want to guarantee that your personal data doesn’t fall into the wrong hands in the event of the loss -- or theft -- of your drive, the best solution is a hardware encrypted memory stick like the new USB 3.1 Aegis Secure Key 3z from Apricorn. This is a thumbdrive with a built in… [Continue Reading]

React -- Tools & Resources is a collection of in-depth guides to some of the tools and resources most used with React, such as Jest and React Router, a look at Preact, and much more. It usually retails for $29, but BetaNews readers can get it entirely free for a limited time. This ebook contains: Getting Started with Redux by Michael Wanyoike React Router v4: The Complete Guide by Manjunath M How to Test React Components Using Jest by Jack Franklin Building Animated Components, or How React Makes D3 Better by Swizec Teller Using Preact as a React Alternative by Ahmed Bouchefra This resource is… [Continue Reading]

Apple has announced plans to make further investment in the US economy, spending some $350 billion over the course of the next 5 years. This figure does not include Apple's ongoing tax payments, tax revenues generated from employees' wages, or the sale of Apple products. The tech giant promises to add 20,000 more American jobs (Apple already employs 84,000 people across all 50 states), and create a new campus -- to house technical support for customers -- at an as-yet unannounced location. "Apple is a success story that could only have happened in America, and we are proud to build… [Continue Reading]

Every few years or so, news breaks about a new bug that can cause iPhones and Macs to crash. In 2013, it was discovered a string of Arabic characters could kill applications in OS X 10.8 and iOS 6, and then in 2015, the "Effective Power" bug allowed anyone to remotely reboot iPhones -- again by using a special sequence of characters. Here we are in 2018, and it’s the same old same old. Abraham Masri has shared a link on Twitter that can freeze a recipient’s device, and possibly restart it, when sent in a text message. The chaiOS… [Continue Reading]

ProtonVPN’s free VPN service got off to a very rocky start when it launched 7 months ago. Demand was such that free users got put on to a waitlist, where they languished for months before even seeing an invite. The company did sort things eventually, and today it expands ProtonVPN further, by bringing the service to Android. If you’re concerned about using a free VPN, the company says you shouldn’t be. The free service is funded by paid subscribers and subsidized by ProtonMail, meaning there are no ads and user data won't be sold to pay for it. "It is… [Continue Reading]

Depending on which analyst firm you believe, Windows 10 will either finally overtake Windows 7 this month, or it won’t. Either way, the newest OS is narrowing the gap. However, according to the Firefox Hardware Report, a public weekly survey of the hardware and software used by everyone running the release channel desktop build of Mozilla's web browser, Windows 10 still has a long way to go until it catches up to Windows 7. SEE ALSO: Steam: Windows 7 loses a large chunk of usage share, but is still well ahead of Windows 10 The Firefox Hardware Report, which is… [Continue Reading]

Google's latest update for YouTube on iOS promises 'general fixes and stability improvements', but also includes a welcome hidden extra -- a Dark Mode that looks especially amazing on iPhone X, and might even save you some battery life. However, there is a catch. To activate this new mode, you need to be running YouTube for iOS version 13.01.4 (or later), and even then it might not be available to you. It seems Google is rolling the feature out slowly to select users. To see if you’re one of the lucky ones, here’s what you need to do. Firstly, check… [Continue Reading]

Windows 10 Insiders on the Fast ring have got used to weekly new builds from Microsoft, but just lately we’ve been having to go a lot longer between releases. There have been just two new builds in the past seven weeks, although both have been jam packed with new features and improvements, so it's easy to understand the reason for the delay. Build 17074, the latest release for the Fast ring (and Skip Ahead), has a lot to offer users and shows the direction the OS is taking these days. Here’s what’s new. SEE ALSO: Microsoft releases action-packed Windows 10… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft rolls out two Windows 10 feature updates a year. The Creators Update arrived last April, followed by the Fall Creators Update in October. In order to limit the number of issues that users experience, Microsoft staggers the rollout. There is a problem with this approach, however. While it means -- hopefully -- fewer headaches for people updating to the latest incarnation, it also means that the update can take forever to reach all users. In fact, in the case of the Creators Update, a quarter of users still didn’t have it by the time its successor arrived. SEE ALSO:… [Continue Reading]

You’ll no doubt be aware of the Spectre and Meltdown processor bugs, as well as the many problems caused by the patches pushed out to address them. Microsoft last week released a PowerShell script which lets you check if your PC is vulnerable to Meltdown or Spectre, but now Ashampoo has made a free tool available which makes checking for the problem as easy as clicking a button. SEE ALSO: Microsoft's emergency Windows Meltdown patch may be incompatible with your PC All you need to do is download the Ashampoo Spectre Meltdown CPU Checker from here, and run it. Click… [Continue Reading]

The number of decent apps available in the Microsoft Store pales in comparison to those in the Apple App Store and Google Play. Big names drop out almost as quickly as new ones arrive, which doesn’t help. In yet another bid to woo developers to the platform, Microsoft is introducing subscription add-ons for Windows 10 Anniversary Edition, and later. Available to all UWP developers, the add-on subscriptions with automated recurring billing will allow creators to sell digital products directly in their apps. Subscription periods available include 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year or 2 years, and it's possible… [Continue Reading]

Say goodbye to unproductive Linux habits and switch to the express lane with Working with Linux -- Quick Hacks for the Command Line from Packt Publishing. Websites, online services, databases, and pretty much every other computer that offers public services runs on Linux. With such a broad usage, the demand for Linux specialists is ever growing. Through this book, you will improve your terminal productivity by seeing how to use different tools. What You Will Learn: Optimize the power of Guake by integrating it with ClipIt Deep dive into the workings of the console editor -- Vim Explore the advanced… [Continue Reading]

Although Microsoft officially ended the free Windows 10 upgrade offer last year, it is still possible to get the new operating system completely free of charge by using a simple trick. The software giant provides Windows 10 for free to anyone using assistive technologies, and doesn’t require you to prove you have any kind of disability in order to make use of this upgrade offer. However, all good things must come to an end, and Microsoft is set to close this free upgrade route. SEE ALSO: Fall Creators Update already on more than half of all Windows 10 PCs To… [Continue Reading]

Windows 10 S is Microsoft’s locked down version of Windows 10 that only allows users to install apps from the Windows Store. It’s much faster than Windows 10 because it isn’t bogged down in the same way the main OS is. It can run on lighter hardware as a result, and deliver significantly better battery life. Users who buy a laptop running Windows 10 S -- such as the Surface Laptop -- can switch to Windows 10 Pro for free until March 31, if they decide they require a more flexible OS. However, it seems Windows 10 S Insiders are… [Continue Reading]

As you’ll have read, two massive security bugs affecting millions of Intel, AMD and ARM processors have been uncovered. Codenamed Meltdown and Spectre, these are serious vulnerabilities, but the good news is the likes of Apple, Google and Microsoft have rushed out patches to address them. Microsoft pushed out a rare, off-schedule emergency fix for Windows 10 (with fixes for Windows 7 and 8.x expected shortly), but the bad news is it may not be compatible with your system. SEE ALSO: Intel chips have a huge security flaw, and the fix will slow down Windows and Linux machines The problem… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft officially called time on the free Windows 10 upgrade offer in 2016, but allowed anyone using assistive technologies to continue to upgrade to the new OS without paying a penny. This offer worked on an honor system -- you weren’t required to provide any proof that you used assistive technologies in order to make use of the deal -- allowing anyone to continue to upgrade to Windows 10 for free. Microsoft finally closed this loophole on December 31, 2017, except (whisper it) the site, and the deal, are still available. SEE ALSO: This is your last chance to get… [Continue Reading]

Depending on which analyst firm you believe, Windows 10 is either a whisker away from overtaking Windows 7 as the most popular desktop operating system, or still quite a distance off. Steam’s monthly usage survey, which shows usage share from the gamers’ perspective, paints an entirely different picture however. It has consistently reported Windows 10 as the top operating system of choice, until recently, when Windows 7 roared into the top spot. SEE ALSO: StatCounter: Windows 10 STILL hasn't overtaken Windows 7 NetMarketShare: Windows 10 still has quite some way to go to beat Windows 7's share At the same… [Continue Reading]

While NetMarketShare’s monthly usage share figures show there to still be a fairly significant gap between Windows 7 and Windows 10 (in the older OS’s favor), rival analyst firm StatCounter has long reported the battle for the top spot to be much, much tighter. So close is the race in fact, that in October it looked as if Windows 10 would easily pass Windows 7 at some point in the following month. Surprisingly, that didn’t happen, although the gap did narrow. It seemed all but guaranteed that Windows 10 would claim pole position in December, but incredibly it didn’t. SEE… [Continue Reading]

NetMarketShare reports on the state of the desktop operating system market on the first day of each month, and it has long shown Windows 10 to be lagging well behind Windows 7. However, tweaks to how the analyst firm records these numbers means the gap has closed recently. The latest figures, for the final month of 2017, show Windows 10 growing and Windows 7 declining, but the difference in usage share hasn’t altered by much. SEE ALSO: NetMarketShare: Windows 7 has been losing share faster than we thought In November, Windows 10 had 31.95 percent share, and in December that… [Continue Reading]

Although Microsoft officially ended the free Windows 10 upgrade offer last year, it is still possible to get the new operating system completely free of charge by using a simple trick. The software giant provides Windows 10 for free to anyone using assistive technologies, and doesn’t require you to prove you have any kind of disability in order to make use of this upgrade offer. However, all good things must come to an end, and Microsoft is set to close this free upgrade route on December 31, 2017. SEE ALSO: Fall Creators Update already on more than half of all… [Continue Reading]

Six years ago, web developer umOuch launched XBMC HUB, the first add-on community for the XBox Media Center (Kodi's original name). It provided an easy way to find and install unofficial add-ons, and later evolved into TVAddons, branching out into new areas in the process. In 2016, TVAddons even created its own fork of Kodi, called FreeTelly. SEE ALSO: Kodi comes full circle, now available for Xbox One Kodi warns users to update their software and addons for safer streaming Back from the dead: Unofficial Kodi add-on provider TVAddons now has 12 million monthly active users After several years of… [Continue Reading]

Kodi started life as XBMC (XBox Media Center) and was designed to run on Microsoft's original Xbox. The software has since then enjoyed a meteoric -- and somewhat controversial -- rise, and is now available for most platforms, including Windows, Mac, Android, and Linux. One platform it was missing from was the latest generation of Microsoft's console, the Xbox One, but that oversight has finally been corrected. You can, from today, install Kodi on both that console and the Xbox One S. Although there is a catch. SEE ALSO: Kodi warns users to update their software and addons for safer… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft releases two big feature updates a year for Windows 10. 2017 saw the arrival of the Creators Update in April, followed by the Fall Creators Update in October. The Creators Update was a slow and at times problematic release. A quarter of Windows 10 users still didn’t have it by the time its successor rolled out. Thankfully, Microsoft seems to have learned some important lessons, and the Fall Creators Update is being installed at a much faster rate. SEE ALSO: Fall Creators Update already on over 20 percent of Windows 10 PCs Microsoft releases action-packed Windows 10 Redstone 4… [Continue Reading]

Using Kodi is not without risk. While crazy scaremongering attacks might (and indeed should) have you rolling your eyes at the people making the outlandish claims, the truth is there are legitimate issues to be aware of. You could be hacked, or spied upon. The developers behind Kodi have announced that users should update to the latest version of the media center software immediately "to improve security and reduce possible risks." SEE ALSO: Back from the dead: Unofficial Kodi add-on provider TVAddons now has 12 million monthly active users Kodi 18 'Leia' 64-bit for Windows is finally ready to replace… [Continue Reading]

It took Microsoft a month to get Windows 10 Insider Build 17063 ready for release, as some pesky bugs kept getting in the way. This is an important build for the software giant as it’s chock full of new features -- including Timeline and Sets -- as well as numerous improvements throughout. However, despite all the time Microsoft put into getting the build ready for release, it seems some pretty nasty bugs slipped through the gaps, as Insiders are discovering. SEE ALSO: Microsoft releases action-packed Windows 10 Redstone 4 build, with new Timeline and Sets features The first issue that… [Continue Reading]

Get ready to own the new Echo Plus, an essential product to start or enhance your smart home! With a built-in ZigBee smart home hub, it seamlessly connects and controls compatible smart devices. Don’t have any other compatible smart devices? You will if you win this bundle sweepstakes. The bundle includes: Amazon Echo Plus with Built-In Hub, Wemo Mini Smart Plug, 2 Smart LED Light Bulbs, Arlo Q Security Camera, and a 1-year Amazon Prime membership. The full list of extras is as follows: Wemo Mini Wi-Fi Smart Plug to control your lights or appliances from your phone or voice… [Continue Reading]

Magic Leap is a secretive company that has received a lot of coverage in the media, mainly due to the amount of funding it’s received, including a sizeable investment from Google. The firm has been working on augmented/mixed reality for years now, but so far without a physical product to show for it. Today that finally changes, as the company takes the wraps off the Magic Leap One: Creator Edition. Magic Leap's futuristic goggles, which support environment mapping, precision tracking and soundfield audio, look like nothing we’ve seen previously, and have reportedly been engineered to be lightweight and comfortable for… [Continue Reading]

WinX MediaTrans is a fast and easy to use iTunes alternative for Windows that lets you manage content on your iPhone/iPad/iPod. No iTunes or Apple ID needed, and no file erasing risk. It gives you ultimate control over your HEIC photos, 4K/HEVC videos, music, ebooks, podcasts, iTunes U and more. The software, from Digiarty WinXDVD, usually retails for $59.95, but BetaNews readers can get it entirely free for a limited time. Features include: New in V5.0: Export and auto-convert HEIC photos to JPEG to be compatible with all platforms Selectively -- or in batch -- transfer 4K video/photo, music from… [Continue Reading]

It’s been a whopping four weeks since Microsoft flighted a new Windows 10 Insider build. Given the software giant normally rolls out new builds on a weekly basis, it’s been a long wait for Build 17063 to arrive, but a wait that’s definitely been worth it. Microsoft said this was an important build, and one it wanted to get right. It’s easy to see why. There are new features, and big changes galore throughout. The standout new feature in this build is the introduction of Timeline. Originally intended to be part of the Fall Creators Update, but dropped when it… [Continue Reading]

Star Wars fever is once again high as The Last Jedi arrives in cinemas around the world. Sphero offers a range of Star Wars droids -- R2-D2, R2-Q5, BB-8 and BB-9E -- which you can control via an app, and which also interact with one another. The BB-8 model I’ve been testing for a few weeks now is a perfect scaled down version of the orange and white droid first introduced in The Force Awakens. Like most of Sphero’s robots, it’s a gyroscopic ball that rolls around, but with a dome on top that moves independently. SEE ALSO: Sphero SPRK+:… [Continue Reading]

There’s a cryptocurrency goldrush on at the moment. People are investing insane sums, and also making good money -- Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin are all doing phenomenally well. However, some sites are turning to mining cryptocurrency as a way to supplement falling ad revenue, and a new report from security firm Adguard has found that almost a billion monthly visitors to four popular streaming sites have unknowingly been mining Monero currency while watching videos. Crypto-jacking -- secretly using your device to mine cryptocurrency in the background -- is a growing problem, and one that often bypasses adblockers. Adguard found four… [Continue Reading]

In an effort to build up hype, and also gauge demand, developers can now make their future apps available for pre-order on the Apple App Store. If you’re excitedly awaiting the arrival of a new app from your favorite developer, you can now buy it up to 90 days in advance, and it will be downloaded automatically once released. The product page for the new app will appear on the App Store, with a pre-order badge, and the date it’s expected to be released. Developers can specify a date that’s between 2 and 90 days in the future. Pre-orders are… [Continue Reading]

Today, at the Qualcomm Snapdragon Tech Summit, Microsoft and Qualcomm officially unveiled the first ARM-powered Windows 10 laptops. These devices, referred to as Always Connected PCs, are always on, always connected (via LTE), and promise "incredible" battery life. How incredible? Well, depending on how much you use them, you could see around 22 hours of active use/a month of standby between charges. The first full-featured Always Connected PCs come from HP and ASUS (Lenovo also has devices set to be revealed in the coming weeks) and are built around the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset running Windows 10 (Windows 10 S… [Continue Reading]

Windows 10: All-In-One For Dummies, 2nd Edition includes all the guidance you need to make the most of this latest update of Windows. This freshly updated resource cuts through the jargon and covers everything you need to know. It shows you how to set up multiple user accounts, create a Homegroup for easy sharing between devices, backup your files, troubleshoot common problems, and much more. SEE ALSO: Get 'Windows 10 for Enterprise Administrators' ($36 value) FREE for a limited time Get 'Kali Linux 2 -- Assuring Security by Penetration Testing, 3rd Edition' ($22 value) FREE for a limited time Inside: Covers all… [Continue Reading]

TVAddons has had a tough year. The site, which provides access to unofficial Kodi add-ons, and for a time had a custom build of Kodi called FreeTelly, has been sued, had its site closed down and its domains and social media accounts seized. On top of that, it’s also had a number of run-ins with Team Kodi, which called for the site to be permanently shut down, claiming it brings "nothing but misery to everyone." SEE ALSO: Anti-piracy firm's scaremongering attack on Kodi boxes should make you angry While this level of problems and grief might have caused most sites… [Continue Reading]

Vivaldi, the new web browser from Jon S. von Tetzchner, the former co-founder of Opera, is already available for Windows, macOS and Linux (x86/x86_64), but from today you can now run it on ARM based Linux devices, including Raspberry Pi. The speedy browser offers useful built-in functionality such as tab grouping, screenshot capture, and ability to take notes. Part of Vivaldi’s appeal is it’s highly customizable, and the experimental new build offers even more options for tinkerers. SEE ALSO: Beautiful blue Raspberry Pi 3 goes on sale, but you (probably) can't buy it Raspberry Pi founder Eben Upton talks sales… [Continue Reading]

Windows PowerShell is a task-based command-line shell and scripting language designed specifically for system administration. This ebook can teach you the fundamentals of PowerShell, enabling you to build reusable scripts and functions to automate administrative tasks with Windows. SEE ALSO: Get 'Windows 10 for Enterprise Administrators' ($36 value) FREE for a limited time Get 'Kali Linux 2 -- Assuring Security by Penetration Testing, 3rd Edition' ($22 value) FREE for a limited time What You Will Learn: Learn to verify your installed version of PowerShell, upgrade it, and start a PowerShell session using the ISE Discover PowerShell commands and cmdlets and… [Continue Reading]

When Windows 8 arrived there was one thing that everyone wanted to know -- "Where’s the Start button gone?" In removing the traditional Start menu from its reimagined tiled OS, Microsoft managed to immediately alienate the majority of its user base. It was, unquestionably, one of the main reasons why that OS flopped so badly. Thankfully, programs like Classic Shell (which has been around since 2009) stepped in to fill the void, reintroducing the classic Start menu to Windows 8, and later Windows 10. While Microsoft’s new OS has a Start menu of its own, a lot of people still… [Continue Reading]

While Windows 10 still lags behind Windows 7 in terms of market share, there’s one section of user that has embraced the new operating system since day one -- gamers. That’s no surprise of course, as they like to run the latest and greatest hardware and software. Steam’s monthly usage survey, which shows the state of things from the gamers’ perspective, has consistently reported Windows 10 as the top operating system of choice, until last month when -- to the surprise of many -- Windows 7 took over. SEE ALSO: NetMarketShare: Windows 7 has been losing share faster than we… [Continue Reading]

You can’t have failed to notice, but copyright holders and anti-piracy groups are waging war on Kodi -- and "fully loaded" Kodi boxes in particular -- at the moment. And as is the case in all wars, the first casualty is truth. A new video from the Hollywood-backed Digital Citizens Alliance is so full of lies and nonsense it will have you shaking your head in wonderment. Does anyone truly believe this propaganda anymore (if they ever did)? Clearly the DCA thinks they do. The video, which you can see below, talks about "disreputable devices" which have "slipped through the… [Continue Reading]

Each month, analyst firm NetMarketShare releases numbers showing the state of the desktop operating system market, and we report on it. This month, it showed the gap between Windows 10 and Windows 7 narrowing significantly (although the two operating systems aren’t quite as close as shown by StatCounter’s figures). That’s not the only change though -- the historical figures of the two operating systems have been adjusted as well, so what’s the story? SEE ALSO: NetMarketShare: Windows 7 still well ahead of Windows 10 StatCounter: Windows 10 fails to overtake Windows 7, but edges slightly closer Windows 10 is now… [Continue Reading]

When StatCounter released its operating system usage share figures last month it showed the gap between Windows 7 and Windows 10 had narrowed significantly. It looked, based on that data, as if the new operating system would overtake the old one during November, but surprisingly that didn’t happen. SEE ALSO: NetMarketShare: Windows 7 still well ahead of Windows 10 Windows 10 is now on 600 million active devices StatCounter’s figures always give Windows 10 a higher share than those compiled by NetMarketShare, and in October it showed the new OS on 40.95 percent, a mere 1.72 percentage points behind Windows… [Continue Reading]

According to the latest figures from NetMarketShare, Windows 10 is edging closer to Windows 7’s usage share, but it still has a way to go until it overtakes it. In October, Windows 10 saw its slowest growth in months, posting a gain of just 0.17 percentage points. In November, however, it’s a very different picture. SEE ALSO: Windows 10 is now on 600 million active devices The latest numbers show Windows 10 putting on a growth spurt to take its share from 29.86 percent to 31.95 percent, an increase of 2.09 percentage points. That increase didn’t come at the expense… [Continue Reading]

At 2015’s Build developer conference, Microsoft announced that it anticipated over 1 billion Windows 10 devices to be in consumers hands within 2 years, but thanks to the failure -- and ultimate death -- of Windows 10 Mobile, that was clearly never going to happen, and Microsoft was forced to admit as much a year ago. When the OS was offered as a free download, initial growth was strong, with Windows 10 finding its way on to 350 million devices in the first year. But growth slowed significantly once the free period ended. SEE ALSO: Fall Creators Update already on… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft is working in earnest on the next feature update of Windows 10, codenamed Redstone 4. It’s already released a number of builds to Insiders in the Fast ring, and today the software giant revealed some of the big new features users can look forward to. However, it also delivered something of a bombshell to Insiders keen to test forthcoming features and changes for themselves -- future additions aren’t going to be available to all. In a blog post, Windows Insider chief Dona Sarkar reveals that Microsoft is about to start A/B testing in new builds. She explains: We’re going… [Continue Reading]

Windows Insiders get to test up and coming Windows 10 features before anyone else. New features and updates appear in Insider builds on a regular basis, often with little warning or fanfare. Terry Myerson, EVP for Windows and Devices, today provides an insight into some new additions which will appear in the next big Windows 10 update, codename Redstone 4, expected to arrive next April. SEE ALSO: Fall Creators Update already on over 20 percent of Windows 10 PCs At this year's Build developer conference, Microsoft showed off a feature called Timeline that is integrated into Task View and which… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft released the Creators Update for Windows 10 back in April, but it was a glacial, and at times problematic, rollout. A fortnight after the initial launch, Microsoft warned users to wait until they were offered it, rather than opting for a manual update, and even when it was finally made available to (almost) all, the take up was very low. Its successor, the Fall Creators Update, launched in October, at which point a quarter of Windows 10 users still didn’t have the Creators Update. SEE ALSO: Steam: Gamers abandoning Windows 10 in huge numbers StatCounter: Windows 10 narrowing the… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft is back to rolling out new Insider Preview builds to the Fast ring on a weekly basis. The latest release, Build 17046, introduces a number of improvements, changes and fixes. So what’s new this time around? SEE ALSO: Get 'Windows 10 for Enterprise Administrators' ($36 value) FREE for a limited time As sure as Winter follows Fall, so you can guarantee that a new Windows 10 Insider build will include some improvements for Microsoft Edge, and Build 17046 is no exception. The main new addition here is the ability to save and automatically fill preferred information in addresses and… [Continue Reading]

Kodi boxes, and other so-called illicit streaming devices (ISDs), are the big-target for anti-piracy organizations at the moment. It’s a war being fought on many fronts. While bulling third-party add-on developers into retiring using legal threats is one of the most high-profile approaches, it’s far from the only tactic being used. Governments and anti-piracy organizations are also using heavy doses of FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) to persuade Kodi lovers to seek other -- legal -- methods for streaming content. SEE ALSO: Kodi: Covenant and other streaming add-ons shut down following legal threats The 'very last' Kodi 17 update now… [Continue Reading]

There are many ways to secure your personal data, but if you have a lot of files and folders you want to keep completely private, then you really need to be looking at a hardware solution. iStorage sells a range of external OS and platform independent USB drives that use hardware-level, real-time military grade AES-XTS 256-bit encryption to secure your content, with access via a built-in PIN pad. The company offers both PIN-protected flash drives and portable USB drives, and its latest offering is the diskAshur DT2, an ultra-secure USB 3.1 desktop hard drive that’s available in a range of… [Continue Reading]

LibreELEC is a fantastic open source Linux-based operating system designed to run Kodi. It is particularly well suited for devices like Raspberry Pi. If you want to build your own Kodi box, it's ideal. Today, the LibreELEC team releases a new build that it expects will be the last from the current branch -- going forward the focus will be firmly on LibreELEC (Leia) 9.0 development. SEE ALSO: Kodi: Covenant and other streaming add-ons shut down following legal threats The 'very last' Kodi 17 update now available for download Your Kodi box could kill you, experts warn LibreELEC 8.2.1 is… [Continue Reading]

Are you drowning in constant emails, phone calls, paperwork, interruptions and meeting actions? Smart Work is the busy professional's guide to getting organized in the digital workplace You'll develop a simple and sustainable productivity system to organize your actions, manage your inputs and achieve your outcomes. SEE ALSO: Get 'Windows 10 for Enterprise Administrators' ($36 value) FREE for a limited time This ebook will help you: Get organized, focused and proactive Conquer the daily incoming deluge Spend more time on important work Leverage your desktop and mobile technology Get back in control so you can start performing like a star. Smart… [Continue Reading]

Achieve the gold standard in penetration testing with Kali using this great ebook, now in its third edition! Kali Linux is a comprehensive penetration testing platform with advanced tools to identify, detect, and exploit the vulnerabilities uncovered in the target network environment. SEE ALSO: Get 'Windows 10 for Enterprise Administrators' ($36 value) FREE for a limited time What you will learn: Find out to download and install your own copy of Kali Linux Properly scope and conduct the initial stages of a penetration test Conduct reconnaissance and enumeration of target networks Exploit and gain a foothold on a target system… [Continue Reading]

Last week, Microsoft rolled out Windows 10 Insider Build 17035 to users on the Fast ring (and Skip Ahead), but didn’t make it available to all. A bug affecting PCs with AMD processors meant that Microsoft was forced to block the new release on those systems. The latest new build, Build 17040, fixes that issue, meaning it’s available for all Insiders to download from today. SEE ALSO: Get 'Windows 10 for Enterprise Administrators' ($36 value) FREE for a limited time In this release there are improvements for Settings, Touch Keyboard, and the Handwriting Panel. You can now adjust the brightness… [Continue Reading]

Kodi, and "fully loaded" Kodi boxes in particular, are frequently in the news. Mainstream media likes to spread a lot of FUD about the hugely popular streaming software. If you’re a Kodi user streaming content via third-party add-ons, you know there’s a danger that those add-ons might stop working, or disappear altogether due to legal action, and there’s always the (very distant) threat that rights holders might start targeting end users. Now there’s another concern to keep you up at nights -- your Kodi box might kill you. SEE ALSO: Kodi: Covenant and other streaming add-ons shut down following legal… [Continue Reading]

After the Exodus Kodi add-on shut-down many users switched to its replacement, Covenant. There’s bad news for users of that add-on however, as the Colossus repository has now been deleted following legal threats. This affects not only Covenant but other add-ons hosted there, including Bennu and DeathStreams. SEE ALSO: The 'very last' Kodi 17 update now available for download The situation reportedly arose when Kodi developer jsergio123, who was part of the Colossus group, was threatened by the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) and agreed to stop development on his add-ons, including URLResolver and Metahandler. While he isn’t directly… [Continue Reading]

Maps is one of Google’s best products, and it gets updated on a regular basis, with changes and new features debuting all the time. Today the search giant takes the wraps off a redesigned Maps, which sports a new look that Google says "better reflects your world, right now." Changes to the service include updating the driving, navigation, transit and explore maps in order to better highlight relevant information. The color scheme has been updated, and there are new icons for places of interest, such as cafes and hospitals. The new color scheme used throughout is as follows: These changes… [Continue Reading]

The Raspberry Pi is a fantastic, credit-card sized barebones computer that comes in a choice of models and sizes, all at very affordable prices. Today the Raspberry Pi Foundation announces it’s releasing a brand new blue model of the Raspberry Pi 3. Want to buy it? We’ve some bad news for you. SEE ALSO: Raspberry Pi founder Eben Upton talks sales numbers, proudest moments, community projects, and Raspberry Pi 4 [Q&A] Raspberry Pi gets a major OS update -- download Raspbian Stretch now! The blue Raspberry Pi is only available to buyers in Brazil. It will be sold through FilipeFlop,… [Continue Reading]

There’s a lot of negativity surrounding Kodi at the moment. The media center software is synonymous with piracy, even though you need to install third-party add-ons to use it for illegal streaming purposes. Team Kodi has been rolling out regular updates, but now says "enough is enough" as it pushes out the final release for the stable version of its media center software. It recommends everyone upgrade to this release, regardless of what platform they use. SEE ALSO: Do you have a jailbroken Apple TV running Kodi? You are in danger of being hacked! Kodi 17.6 doesn’t include any new… [Continue Reading]

Most people rely on and trust Google's search results. It’s what the company is best known for, after all. However, anyone searching for a copy of Microsoft’s video editing software is in for a nasty surprise. Windows Movie Maker was put out to pasture in January of this year, but its appeal is such that a fake version has arrived, and is conning people into parting with money thanks to an unlikely ally -- Google. If you search for "Windows Movie Maker" on Google Search, the top result is for a site at www.windows-movie-maker.org. Click the link, and you’ll be… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft is busy working on the next big feature update for Windows 10, codenamed Redstone 4, and today it releases a new build for Windows Insiders on the Fast ring (and Skip Ahead). It’s been a fortnight since we last had a new build as Microsoft encountered some major bugs that meant it wasn’t able to push out a new version last week. Build 17035 comes with some exciting new features and improvements, but unfortunately not everyone will be able to install it. Announcing the new build, Brandon LeBlanc, Senior Program Manager, Microsoft, explains: Due to a bug that causes… [Continue Reading]

Bitcoin investors, myself included, have had November 16 marked on their calendars for a while. This is when (roughly) it was anticipated the latest Bitcoin hard fork -- Segwit2x, or 2x for short -- would take place. The aim of the plan was to trigger a block size increase at block 494784 via a software upgrade. As was the case with the Bitcoin Cash hard fork, investors were expecting to receive an amount of the new Bitcoin2x asset on the Bitcoin2x blockchain. As trading platform Coinbase previously explained to its users, anyone storing Bitcoin on Coinbase at the time of… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft has -- for the moment at least -- stopped updating its official Windows market share page, which means if you want to see how well the various flavors of Windows are doing, you have three options. StatCounter’s latest update shows Windows 10 closing in on Windows 7, while NetMarketShare’s figures have the new OS still a long way off reaching that milestone. The third option is Steam’s monthly user survey, which shows the state of things from the gamers’ perspective. Usually Windows 10 is by far the most popular OS but in October its share tumbled, while Windows 7’s… [Continue Reading]

If you want to get your head in the cloud and get up to speed on the features in Office 365, you've come to the right place. Inside Microsoft Office 365 For Dummies, 2nd Edition, you'll learn step by step how to use email, take advantage of SharePoint Online for collaboration, communicate with team members using Skype for Business, get work done with the latest version of Office Online, and how to make a plan for effectively migrating your company to Office 365. This ebook will help you: Understand cloud technology Dive into SharePoint Get social at work Learn about… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft officially pulled the plug on the free Windows 10 upgrade offer last year, but the truth is you can still get the new operating system free of charge if you know how. There are two main methods. You can either simply upgrade using a Windows 7 or 8.x key, or you can go through the assistive technologies page. The latter option lets anyone who claims to use assistive technologies to upgrade for free, and works on an honor system. You don’t need to actually prove you have any kind of disability to make use of it. Microsoft did say… [Continue Reading]

Windows 10 Mobile is now officially dead, and Microsoft has switched its attention to Android and iPhone, releasing a growing number of apps for those operating systems. You can now also link your Android device or iPhone to any PC running Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, which will allow you to start a task on your phone, and then continue it on your PC. Here’s what you need to do. SEE ALSO: How to download Windows 10 Fall Creators Update and create your own installation USB flash drive or DVD How to upgrade your PC to the Windows 10 Fall… [Continue Reading]

Kodi is rarely out of the news these days, and the media center software has become synonymous with piracy. Users who install third-party add-ons that allow them to stream TV shows and movies illegally should be aware that developers could be monitoring their devices, looking for 'infringing' add-ons that facilitate piracy. Worse still, if any of these add-ons are found, a nag screen will appear demanding their removal. SEE ALSO: New Kodi update arrives -- download it now! Kodi calls for TVAddons to be shut down Kodi: Users who stream illegal content should 'Bugger off' LibreELEC 8.2.0 Kodi-focused Linux distro… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft rolls out two feature updates a year for Windows 10. In April the software giant released the Creators Update, and then a week ago, the Fall Creators Update made its debut. Spaced six months apart, the idea is that by the time the second feature update is released, most people will have upgraded to the first. But while that’s the theory, it’s certainly not the case with the Creators Update. SEE ALSO: Everything new and improved in the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update [changelog] Microsoft: Windows 10 Fall Creators Update being offered to more users Free up 30GB of… [Continue Reading]

The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update rollout only began last week, but Microsoft is already working on the next big feature update. We’ve had a few releases from the Redstone 4 branch already, and today we get another. New builds this early on tend not to offer too much in the way of new features, but there’s a few differences this time around that Insiders might enjoy. SEE ALSO: Everything new and improved in the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update [changelog] Microsoft: Windows 10 Fall Creators Update being offered to more users Free up 30GB of hard drive space in… [Continue Reading]

I’m a big fan of e-ink Kindles -- preferring them over real books. If you do a lot of reading, they’re great. However, some people prefer the versatility of an iPad, Android tablet or smartphone, and there's a clear benefit to those. You only need to carry around the one device. Today, Amazon launches a rebuilt Kindle app for both iOS and Android that provides easy access to the most popular Kindle features, and adds new functionality, such as built-in access to the Goodreads community. Key updates include: All-New Look -- The Kindle app features a new look and feel… [Continue Reading]

You don’t really invest in Bitcoin, more gamble on it. The trick to making a profit is knowing when to buy, and when to sell. Essentially you just need to buy low, sell high. But predicating how the cryptocurrency will perform isn’t easy. At the moment, Bitcoin is riding a high (although it’s dipped a fair bit from the peak it hit over the weekend), but whether it will go up from here, or down, is anyone’s guess. SEE ALSO: Wolf of Wall Street: cryptocurrency ICOs are 'the biggest scam ever' Online betting site BetOnline.ag, one of the world's largest… [Continue Reading]

Popular media center software Kodi continues to be in the news, often for the wrong reasons. Most recently the organization behind the program called for unofficial Kodi add-ons site TVAddons to be be shutdown, and said that users who stream illegal content should 'bugger off'. It’s clear the Kodi Foundation is frustrated with its reputation as a means to allow users to view pirated content. If you’re a Kodi fan, then you’ll be interested to know that a new update for the software is available from today. SEE ALSO: Kodi: Having problems with Exodus? Here's how to install and use… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft rolls out two Windows 10 feature updates a year. In April, the Creators Update arrived, followed by the Fall Creators Update this month. In order to reduce the number of problems big updates like this can cause users, Microsoft staggers the rollout. Fans and early adopters get it first, then comes the initial phase, where the update is made available for newer systems, followed by full availability. This, in theory, is a smart move. Microsoft can monitor the rollout, and if things are going smoothly, make the update available to more users. The problem is, with the Creators Update… [Continue Reading]

The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update is rolling out to users. If you install it and encounter major problems, as some users have (especially owners of Razer laptops), you might want to go back to your previous version, and wait until the update is a bit less buggy. If you been using Windows 10 for a while, you’ll probably know how to do this, although the process may be slightly different to what you're used to. SEE ALSO: How to download Windows 10 Fall Creators Update and create your own installation USB flash drive or DVD How to upgrade your… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft has just released its biggest update to Windows 10 yet. The Fall Creators Update introduces lots of new features and general improvements, including new privacy and security options, My People, OneDrive Files on Demand, improvements to Cortana and Edge, and more. However, a big update like this requires a big download, and the files that Microsoft places on your system don’t get removed afterwards. In other words, the Fall Creators Update could be responsible for taking a massive bite out of your free hard drive space -- tens of gigabytes in fact. Fortunately it’s easy enough to reclaim this.… [Continue Reading]

The single greatest asset of success is what each leader, team member, and employee chooses to focus on, believe, and create for themselves and others. 7 Principles of Transformational Leadership presents the fundamental concepts whose implementation will result in dramatic revenue, performance, and relationship growth. SEE ALSO: Get 'Practical DevOps' ($23 value) FREE for a limited time Get 'The Blueprint: The Innovative New Approach to Growth for the Small to Medium-sized Business' ($9.99 value) FREE for a limited time Specifically, leaders will learn to: Live their professional and personal lives with unbridled purpose and passion Execute strategic priorities more effectively and… [Continue Reading]

The Blueprint, by Chris Thomason, offers an innovative approach to learning smart ways to grow your business -- because it’s written as a novel. This resource follows two small-business owners whose businesses have stalled. They don't know how to reinvigorate their businesses to achieve the dreams they'd initially had when they started out. After a successful local businessman agrees to help them, the journey of growth begins. Throughout this book, they learn essential key understandings for how to re-focus and achieve growth. SEE ALSO: Get 'Practical DevOps' ($23 value) FREE for a limited time They engage in practical business exercises that cover: Knowing your… [Continue Reading]

Harness the power of DevOps to boost your skill set and make your IT organization perform better. DevOps is a practical field that focuses on delivering business value as efficiently as possible. What you will learn: Appreciate the merits of DevOps and continuous delivery and see how DevOps supports the agile process Understand how all the systems fit together to form a larger whole Set up and familiarize yourself with all the tools you need to be efficient with DevOps Design an application that is suitable for continuous deployment systems with Devops in mind Store and manage your code effectively… [Continue Reading]

Windows 10 Fall Creators Update is slowly rolling out to users with compatible systems, but don’t expect to be offered it any time soon. A quarter of users are still waiting to get the Creators Update. If you can’t wait to try the new features, the good news is Microsoft has updated its Media Creation tool to include the update and you can use this to download Windows 10 now and create your own installation media on either a USB flash drive or DVD. This is particularly handy if you want to perform a clean install, or update multiple computers… [Continue Reading]

The latest feature update for Windows 10 is rolling out to users now. But while Microsoft might have started the process today, it will likely be quite a while before you’ll be offered it. Only newer PCs will get it at first, and it might take weeks, or months, before it reaches your system. The good news is, if you’re willing to take a bit of risk, you can start the upgrade immediately. SEE ALSO: Everything new and improved in the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update [changelog] To install the Fall Creators Update, all you have to do is go… [Continue Reading]

The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, rolling out now, brings a lot of changes and improvements to the OS, and if you’re a Windows Insider you’ll have been testing them for months. If you’re not a Windows Insider and you haven’t been keeping close tabs on the development of the latest feature update, this comprehensive list will reveal the full range of new features, changes, and improvements. There's plenty to get excited about. Fluent Design Microsoft’s new design language introduces Light, Depth, Motion, Material and Scale to elements of the OS. Fluent Design evolved out of Microsoft Project NEON and… [Continue Reading]

After months of testing, the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update is now available to install. As was the case with the Creators Update, Microsoft is rolling the update out slowly, with newer systems set to get it first. There’s a good chance you won’t be offered the download immediately -- it might take months in fact -- but you will be able to manually update your system from now if you want. SEE ALSO: How to delay the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update Highlights of the new feature update include a tweaked interface with Fluent Design elements, OneDrive Files On-Demand,… [Continue Reading]

When you update your copy of Windows 10 to the Fall Creators Update (from tomorrow), one of the changes you may notice is the introduction of a new, but quite subtle, look to the OS. Microsoft's Fluent Design language is essentially like Aero, with cool transparency and blur effects added throughout. SEE ALSO: How to delay the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update Although the changes are to be found across the Fall Creators Update, more will be introduced in future feature updates, across both apps and services. If you want to get a taste of the changes, without updating your… [Continue Reading]

The latest feature update for Windows 10 is about to start rolling out, although it may be months before it comes to your device (a quarter of users are still waiting for the Creators Update). While you might be keen to update your installation, the truth is it’s often best to wait. Big updates like this usually introduce bugs and problems alongside new features, and unless you’re desperate to screw up your copy of Windows 10, I’d recommend holding off for a while. Even Microsoft warned users not to install the Creators Update when that first came out. If you’re… [Continue Reading]

Windows Insiders who haven’t yet updated to the new Windows 10 RS4 build released today (and there may be many, as we're hearing reports of problems with its deployment), have a cumulative update heading their way. Build 16299.19 (KB4043961) is currently rolling out to Windows Insiders running Build 16299.15 (the Fall Creators Update RTM), and offers a number of quality improvements. SEE ALSO: Google: By only patching Windows 10, Microsoft is putting Windows 7 and 8.x users in danger Windows 10 update removes Windows Media Player [Update] All the features Microsoft is removing or deprecating in Windows 10 Fall Creators… [Continue Reading]

Last week, Microsoft rolled out Build 16299.15 -- the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update RTM -- to Insiders on the Fast ring, and then also released it to those on the Slow and Release Preview rings. The official Fall Creators Update rollout starts next week, meaning we’re now starting to see builds from the Redstone 4 (RS4) branch making their way to Insiders, as the Fast and Skip Ahead branches merge. Build 17017 for PC arrives today in time for the weekend, introducing some useful new features. SEE ALSO: Install Windows 10 Fall Creators Update Bloatware Free Edition now First… [Continue Reading]

In The Evolutionary Leader, Timothy J. Carroll, a world class athlete and consultant to Fortune 500 companies, shares 5 practical steps to dramatically develop people and performance. In his role of developing leaders worldwide, Timothy discusses the biggest challenges leaders face and provides solutions to overcome them. Evolutionary leaders are revolutionary by nature, and this handbook answers the following questions, providing proven tools on how to perform out of your mind: What are the secrets of how human beings work? How do you use these to help others and yourself perform consistently? What can you do to liberate yourself from… [Continue Reading]

Last month, we revealed how popular torrent site The Pirate Bay was secretly running a Javascript cryptocurrency miner from Coinhive in the background, increasing the CPU usage of visitors. The miner uses processing power from users’ systems to generate Monero coins for the site it’s on, and The Pirate Bay said it was testing it as a way of generating alterative revenue. Despite the inevitable outcry the initial test produced, The Pirate Bay has once again begun using cryptocurrency miners, although this time around it has throttled the mining slightly, presumably to make it less obvious to users. The miner… [Continue Reading]

I'm sure you know someone who's been hit with ransomware, or maybe you have been through it yourself. Wouldn't it be great to have a manual to tell you what to do in that instance, and how to prevent it in the future? Now you do! The Ransomware Hostage Rescue Manual, from KnowBe4, is packed with all the actionable info that you need to prevent infections, as well as instructions on what to do should you be hit with ransomware. SEE ALSO: Get 'Jump Start Adobe XD' ($14 value) FREE for a limited time Get 'Coding for Dummies' ($16 value)… [Continue Reading]

Jump Start Adobe XD provides everything a designer needs, right out of the box. Adobe’s new app, Experience Design CC (better known as XD) is the only design tool on the market today that allows you to design user interfaces, prototype interactions, and then export assets for development right out of the box. Jump Start Adobe XD will get you up and running with Adobe XD in no time. SEE ALSO: Get 'Coding for Dummies' ($16 value) FREE for a limited time Get 'LinkedIn For Dummies, 4th Edition' ($13 value) FREE for a limited time With plenty of detailed examples, this… [Continue Reading]

Windows 10 receives two big feature updates a year, which means there are lots of different versions of the operating system for Microsoft to update. This obviously isn’t practical, and so the company drops support for older releases after a period of time has elapsed. It ended support for the original Windows 10 release (1507) five months ago, and from tomorrow, October 10, the software giant will end support for version 1511, also known as the November Update. SEE ALSO: Over a quarter of Windows 10 systems STILL don't have the Creators Update Anyone running the Anniversary Update (1607), or… [Continue Reading]

Windows 10 is a work in progress. Each new feature update adds additional functionality to the operating system, but it also often removes features for one reason or another. I’ve previously covered the list of features being removed or deprecated in the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, but Insiders testing the new operating system release can add one more major casualty to the lineup -- Windows Media Player. While it could be argued that Windows Media Player is no longer an essential addition to Windows -- there are plenty of quality third-party alternatives, such as VLC Media Player, not to… [Continue Reading]

We all know that Microsoft’s focus is on Windows 10. The software giant wants users to upgrade to its new operating system, and has regularly spoken about how that OS keeps users safe. However, according to Google Project Zero researcher Mateusz Jurczyk, by focusing on patching Windows 10, and not applying the same fixes to Windows 7 and 8.x, Microsoft is actually putting users of those two older operating systems at risk. Jurczyk noticed when filing an issue in the Project Zero bug tracker (Windows Kernel pool memory disclosure in win32k!NtGdiGetGlyphOutline) and performing some analysis, that the bug was only… [Continue Reading]

If you want to teach children how to code, then buying them a product like the Raspberry Pi makes a lot of sense. It’s versatile, and cheap enough that if they break it, buying a replacement shouldn’t be too big a deal. Not every child is going to want to learn how to program a Pi though -- the appeal of it won’t necessary be apparent to a kid who just wants to play. This is where SPRK+ comes in. The Sphero robot can be driven using an app, and then -- when the appeal of that wears off --… [Continue Reading]

Amazon rolled out a selection of new Echo products a week ago, in a move designed to cement the company’s position as the leader of voice assistant technology. At its hardware event today, Google announced its Echo Dot competitor, called the Home Mini. A companion to the Google Home, it will offer much the same functionality, but in a far smaller, cheaper package. You can use it to stream music, control your home, send instructions to other Google products, get answers to questions, check your calendar, and more, all using voice controls. Google says the sound quality from the tiny… [Continue Reading]

Google’s Pixel smartphones were among the best Android flagships released last year, and Google is expected to announce their successors today. In addition to the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL smartphones, we’re also expecting the search giant to reveal other products, including a new Google Home, a new Daydream headset, and a new Chromebook. It will be the new flagship Android smartphones that will be the real draw of course, and they are tipped to be faster, with better cameras and water resistance. The Pixel 2 XL is also expected to have a new bezel-free design. The launch event… [Continue Reading]

LinkedIn is your number-one personal branding tool, and this friendly guide shows you how to harness it to build connections and relationships -- and stand out in the world's largest professional network. LinkedIn For Dummies walks you step by step through creating an eye-catching profile and demonstrates how to successfully expand your reach by connecting with colleagues, customers, and like-minded individuals from around the globe. SEE ALSO: Get 'Coding for Dummies' ($16 value) FREE for a limited time From keeping track of your LinkedIn activities and writing and requesting recommendations to finding a job and using LinkedIn to cultivate sales leads,… [Continue Reading]

No coding experience is required for Coding For Dummies, your one-stop guide to building a foundation of knowledge in writing computer code for web, application, and software development. Using foundational web development languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, it explains in plain English how coding works and why it's needed. Online exercises developed by Codecademy provide an environment where you can try out tutorials built into the text and see the actual output from your coding. You'll also gain access to end-of-chapter challenges to apply newly acquired skills to a less-defined assignment. The ebook covers: The foundations of web development… [Continue Reading]

If you’re a Kodi user then you’ll no doubt be familiar with TVAddons. The site hosts many of the best unofficial Kodi addons around and is a must-visit for many users. TVAddons has had a lot of well-documented legal problems lately, but received an unexpected boost from digital rights group the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), which came out in support of the site a few days ago. But while TVAddons might have a lot of supporters, one organization definitely isn’t a fan -- Kodi itself. SEE ALSO: Kodi: Having problems with Exodus? Here's how to install and use its replacement… [Continue Reading]

Each month, NetMarketShare reports on the state of the desktop operating system market. Its numbers are often interesting, and occasionally initially wrong (this month, for example, they showed a sizeable growth for Linux, before being corrected). The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update is due to begin rolling out this month (even though over a third of users still don’t have the Creators Update), and Microsoft will be hoping this big new feature release will give its operating system a major boost. But how is Windows 10 doing at the moment, and when will it finally overtake Windows 7? Read on… [Continue Reading]

The war against copyright infringement has always been a difficult one for rights holders. Aside from the scale of the problem, there are multiple platforms that make illegal downloads, streams, and sharing possible. For many years, the main target for anti-piracy bodies was BitTorrent, but in recent months a new number one enemy has surfaced in the form of Kodi, and in particular various companies and addons associated with the media center software. While in Europe and the UK, sellers of "fully loaded" media center boxes seem to be the primary focus for Kodi-related lawsuits, in Canada and the US,… [Continue Reading]

With new preview builds for the Fall Creators Update focusing purely on fixing stability and performance issues as Microsoft rushes towards its release, it’s the Redstone 4 branch (aka Skip Ahead) where you’ll find new additions beginning to appear. The latest release for this branch introduces a sizeable number of improvements, as well as a big leap forward in build numbers, jumping from 16362 to 17004. In this build Microsoft has added more elements of Fluent Design, its new design language, and also introduced numerous fixes and improvements to Microsoft Edge. Updates to the browser are something we tend to… [Continue Reading]

Kodi is in the news a lot at the moment, and not for the best reasons. Although using the software itself isn’t illegal, third-party add-ons that make it possible to stream copyrighted content have caught the attention of anti-piracy groups, resulting in lawsuits. Inevitably, the threat of legal action, and possibly jail time, has spooked a lot of third-party add-on creators, and we’ve seen many of these disappear in recent months. For many people, Exodus is the number one Kodi add-on. It’s how a large portion of users stream the latest TV shows and movies, but things are not looking… [Continue Reading]

The Windows Insider team have been busy this week at Microsoft Ignite, but that doesn’t mean that development on the forthcoming Fall Creators Update has slowed at all. With just a matter of weeks to go until the rollout begins, Microsoft has yet another new build available for testers on the Fast ring (not Skip Ahead). SEE ALSO: Over a quarter of Windows 10 systems STILL don't have the Creators Update Build 16299 is -- as you’d expect -- another release where the focus is on stabilization and fixing bugs. General changes, improvements, and fixes in this build include: Fixed… [Continue Reading]

The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update is set to begin its rollout in a matter of weeks, yet over a quarter (27.5 percent) of Windows 10 users still haven’t received the Creators Update. According to the latest figures from AdDuplex, while the Creators Update found its way on to another 7.5 percent of computers this month to give it a 72.5 percent share, it’s still well short of the 91.2 percent that the Anniversary Update reached before the Creators Update was released. AdDuplex warns that as a result of slow rollouts like this, fragmentation will only increase in the future.… [Continue Reading]

Dyson makes a lot of products -- ranging from hand and hair dryers, to fans and heaters -- but it’s still best known for its vacuum cleaners. That might change in the future however, as the company has announced plans to create its own electric cars. According to Dyson, 400 staff are currently developing the car at its headquarters in Wiltshire, UK, although the vehicle isn’t expected to hit the roads until after 2020. The project will cost £2 billion to fund, with half of that going towards developing the car, and the other half on designing the battery. The… [Continue Reading]

Ignite, Microsoft’s annual IT event, is currently underway in Orlando, Florida, and the software giant today revealed a range of new Windows 10 S devices from the likes of HP, Lenovo and Acer. Windows 10 S is a cut down version of Windows 10 that only runs software from the Microsoft Store. It’s also faster and more secure, and when it launched it was aimed primarily at the education market -- a clear rival for devices running Google’s Chrome OS. Microsoft is now looking to expand Windows 10 S into other markets. At Ignite, Microsoft announced the first Windows 10… [Continue Reading]

Earlier today, Windows Insider chief Dona Sarkar tweeted that things are going to get very busy over the next few days as Microsoft pulls out all the stops to get the Fall Creators Update ready for release in the coming weeks. True to her word, she announced Build 16291 for Insiders in the Slow ring, followed by two new builds shortly afterwards -- Build 15252 for Mobile, and Build 16296 for PC users on the Fast ring. Skip Ahead users will have to wait until next week for their next build. As you would expect, there’s nothing too thrilling about… [Continue Reading]

Whether you brighten up your home with photos of your family, or works of art, the chances are those pictures have a few things in common -- they don’t move, they don’t change, and you probably never really notice them much now either. Joto’s creators want to change that. Joto is a robotic whiteboard -- described as a modern day 'etch-a-sketch'. It's controlled via an app and draws with a pen, live on request, everything from works of art to personal messages. Jim Rhodes, founder of Joto, explains "Most of the content we love is stuck on our screens, and… [Continue Reading]

Catching criminals requires cutting-edge technology, right? Well it should do, but that’s often not the case. Greater Manchester Police, the UK's second biggest police force, has admitted to the BBC that it’s still using Windows XP on a large number of PCs, even though Microsoft ended nearly all support for the ageing OS back in 2014. SEE ALSO: It's Windows 7 -- not Windows XP -- that's to blame for the spread of WannaCry ransomware According to a Freedom of Information request, 1,518 of the police force’s PCs are still running XP. That accounts for a shocking 20.3 percent of… [Continue Reading]

The release date for the next big Windows 10 feature update is drawing ever closer, and Microsoft is working hard to get it as complete and polished as possible. Today sees the release of the latest Fall Creators Update build to the Fast ring (not Skip Ahead), and as you might expect, bug fixes and stability and performance tweaks are the order of the day. But that said, Microsoft has managed to sneak in another new feature too. SEE ALSO: Windows 10 Fall Creators Update will give you greater control over your privacy -- but does it go far enough?… [Continue Reading]

Move beyond the basics of how a Linux machine works and gain a better understanding of Linux networks and their configuration. The Linux Networking Cookbook is a hands-on solution guide to building, maintaining, and securing a network using Linux. What you will learn: Route an IPv6 netblock to your local network Modify your named instance to support setting hostnames for your IPv6 addresses Use SSH for remote console access Configure NGINX with TLS Secure XMPP with TLS Leverage iptables6 to firewall your IPv6 traffic Configure Samba as an Active Directory compatible directory service Linux Networking Cookbook usually retails for $17,… [Continue Reading]

Today is a big day for iPhone and iPad users, as it’s when iOS 11 makes its official debut. There’s a lot of cool new features in this OS update, including a design refresh, revamped Control Center, a Do Not Disturb driving mode, Siri improvements, and much more. However, iOS 11 is also when Apple stops supporting 32-bit apps. And that means some of your beloved apps and games may stop working once you perform the update. By now, most supported -- and regularly updated -- apps will have been made compatible with iOS 11, but that doesn’t mean all… [Continue Reading]

WinX MediaTrans is a fast and easy to use iTunes alternative for Windows that lets you manage content on your iPhone/iPad/iPod. No iTunes or Apple ID needed, and no file erasing risk. The software, from Digiarty WinXDVD, usually retails for $59.95, but BetaNews readers can get it entirely free for a limited time. Features include: Two-way transfer of ebooks, photos, videos, music, voice, etc between iDevice and PC, individually or in batch. Manage and sync a music collection: import/export music; create, delete, edit playlists/albums/songs. Make ringtones. Auto convert any video format, like MKV and M4V, to MP4, and audio to… [Continue Reading]

"Your Windows Has Been Banned" is a nasty of piece of malware that first surfaced in 2016. It locks your computer screen and displays a message stating "This PC has been banned for terms of use violations." It doesn’t go into specifics for the ban -- because, obviously, it’s not a real ban -- but simply says that your PC has been locked in order to "protect the Windows service and its members," adding "Microsoft does not provide details about specific PC bans." In order to unlock the system, the malware originally stated the victim should call technicians purporting to… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft yesterday released a new Windows 10 Fall Creators Update build for Insiders on the Fast ring. Build 16288 fixes a lot of issues, although it also failed to arrive for many users. Today, Microsoft releases another new build, only this time for those Insiders who have chosen to Skip Ahead to the pre-release Redstone 4 branch. This branch will form the basis for the next big feature release after the Fall Creators Update. As you might expect, there aren’t lots of amazing new features in the Skip Ahead releases yet, but Build 16362 does offer an improved boot experience… [Continue Reading]

One of the biggest complaints about Windows 10 is that it spies on its users. Microsoft has reigned in this snooping in past feature updates, and is introducing yet more privacy enhancements in the forthcoming Windows 10 Fall Creators Update. These changes, Microsoft says, will give users greater access to information, as well as more control over what data is collected in the first place. There are two main additions. SEE ALSO: Microsoft does Windows 10 privacy propaganda well You’ll notice the first during installation. Microsoft’s Privacy Statement will now appear as part of the setup process. While most users… [Continue Reading]

After a wait of nearly two weeks, Microsoft yesterday rolled out a new Windows 10 Fall Creators Update build to Insiders on the Fast ring. At least, that was the intention. However, the release didn’t go according to plan, and many people found themselves unable to download the new build. Microsoft was quickly on the case and delivered a fix for the issue, except, well, people still can’t download the update. Announcing the resolution, Microsoft said "We know this has been a frustrating release. Thank you for your patience while we fixed it." Users were advised to allow around two… [Continue Reading]

The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update rollout is scheduled to begin on October 17th, although if the speed of the previous feature update rollout is anything to go by, it will be quite some time before most users get offered it (although they'll of course be able to manually update their PCs if they wish.) Microsoft is hard at work getting the new update ready, although some major bugs meant it's been nearly two weeks since the last build was pushed out. Today the wait is over, as a new build finally arrives for Insiders on the Fast ring (not… [Continue Reading]

At its first ever event at the new Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, Apple took the wraps off its latest iterations of iPhone -- the iPhone 8, its larger sibling the iPhone 8 Plus, and the re-imagined iPhone X. If you’re in the market for a new flagship smartphone, then choosing between the iPhone 8/8 Plus and the iPhone X could be tricky, as many of the new features are available on both devices, but it becomes even harder when you consider there are even more iPhones to choose from in the official line-up. In addition to the iPhone 8/8… [Continue Reading]

It’s been rumored, and even revealed in a number of leaks, but the iPhone X (iPhone 10 as it’s referred to) is now official. The super flagship from Apple features an edge-to-edge OLED screen with Super Retina display that does away with the Home button, an advanced Face ID unlocking method that replaces Touch ID, A11 Bionic chip, wireless charging, and an improved rear camera with dual optical image stabilization, and more. "For more than a decade, our intention has been to create an iPhone that is all display. The iPhone X is the realization of that vision," says Jony… [Continue Reading]

Game of Thrones is a hugely popular show, and every year we see statistics regarding how many times different episodes have been downloaded illegally. Season 7, which has just finished on HBO, was easily the most pirated yet, helped in no small part by leaks from hackers which saw episodes available to stream through Kodi, and download on pirate sites and BitTorrent before they were even broadcast. Piracy tracking firm Muso says that each episode of Season 7 was pirated around 140 million times, and the season as a whole saw over a billion illegal steams and downloads (and that’s… [Continue Reading]

Analytics is now an expected part of the bottom line. The irony is that as more companies become adept at analytics, it becomes less of a competitive advantage. Businesses are now being forced to look deeper into their data to increase efficiency and competitiveness. Enter machine learning. Recent advances have led to increased interest in adopting this technology as part of a larger, more comprehensive analytics strategy. But incorporating modern machine learning techniques into production data infrastructures is not easy. SEE ALSO: Get 'Penetration Testing -- A Survival Guide' ($55 value) FREE for a limited time Read this report to… [Continue Reading]

Leading With Strategic Thinking -- Four Ways Effective Leaders Gain Insight, Drive Change, and Get Results, from Wiley, reveals what effective leaders do differently. Eschewing the one-size-fits-all leadership model, this helpful guide outlines four general leadership types and demonstrates how each type achieves success -- whether through personal vision, structured process, collaboration, or by empowering others. The authors identify the actions and skills that distinguish strategic leadership, drawn from interviews and focus groups with over three hundred leaders from around the world. SEE ALSO: Get 'Penetration Testing -- A Survival Guide' ($55 value) FREE for a limited time This eBook… [Continue Reading]

The need for penetration testers has grown well over what the IT industry ever anticipated. Running just a vulnerability scanner is no longer an effective method to determine whether a business is truly secure. Penetration Testing -- A Survival Guide from Packt Publishing usually retails for $55, but BetaNews readers can get it entirely free for a limited time. What you will learn in this ebook: Exploit several common Windows network vulnerabilities Recover lost files, investigate successful hacks, and discover hidden data in innocent-looking files Expose vulnerabilities present in web servers and their applications using server-side attacks Use SQL and… [Continue Reading]

According to NetMarketShare, in July Windows 10 grew its usage share by 0.83 percentage points -- its largest increase in three months. (This, remember, is an OS that only managed to gain a grand total of five percent share in an entire year). With a new major update to the operating system right around the corner, you might expect Windows 10 to have grown its share by a similar figure in August, but no. It's back to the glacial growth we usually see for the new OS. In August, Windows 10 went from 27.63 percent to 27.99 percent, an increase of just 0.36… [Continue Reading]

Any photo editor -- be it on the desktop, or on the web -- can reduce an image’s size. You can shrink images down as little or as much as you like. However, making an image bigger, well that’s a whole different matter. When you blow up a picture you can introduce all manner of problems, including blurring, general loss of sharpness, and jagged edges. That said, it is possible to increase a picture’s size without introducing these problems, if you know how. The trick is to use the right software. Two excellent free tools to try are A Sharper… [Continue Reading]

When you type a URL into your browser’s address bar and hit enter, there will be a slight delay while the software asks a DNS (Domain Name System) server for the IP address of the site in order to be able to load it. Switching to a faster DNS server could shave milliseconds off the lookup time, and ultimately speed up your browsing. You can do this manually, or there’s a simpler option. While OpenDNS or Google's Public DNS might be the fastest choices, that’s not always the case. DNS Jumper is a free, portable tool that can find the… [Continue Reading]

Drones are great fun to fly, and if you’ve never had the chance to pilot one the Micro Drone 3.0 is a good place to start. The personal drone is easy enough for beginners to master, but with enough options to please more expert pilots. Micro Drone 3.0 is small enough to fit in your hand, but offers pretty much everything you’ll require, including sensor-assisted flying, inverted flying, a camera port, and first-person view piloting. Inside the box you’ll find the drone itself, the 2.4GHz handset to control it, a rechargeable battery, USB charger dock, a set of propeller guards,… [Continue Reading]

My dad had a stroke in his early 60s that left him partially paralyzed. He later had another stroke that killed him. That had a big impact on my life, and since then I’ve been interested in stroke research, and medical advancements in that field. Neurostimulation in particular is proving beneficial to stroke victims, and I spoke to Nexeon CEO and neurotechnology expert Will Rosellini and Director of Clinical Research Navid Khodaparast about how it’s helping enhance stroke rehabilitation, and its future potential for augmenting healthy brains. BN: What is neurostimulation therapy? WR: Neurostimulation encompasses any therapy that deliberately modifies… [Continue Reading]

VPNs (Virtual Private Network) work by routing all of your web traffic to a VPN server through a secure, encrypted tunnel. Their usage has grown substantially in recent years as web users seek not only to circumvent geoblocking, censorship and ISP blocks, but also simply to enjoy a degree of anonymity online. There are number of free and paid VPNs to choose from. While free might seem like the way to go, the truth is these tend to have restrictions, such as a limited amount of free traffic each month, fewer servers to choose from, and throttled speeds. They’re fine… [Continue Reading]

Jump Start Adobe XD provides everything a designer needs, right out of the box. Adobe’s new app, Experience Design CC (better known as XD) is the only design tool on the market today that allows you to design user interfaces, prototype interactions, and then export assets for development right out of the box. Jump Start Adobe XD will get you up and running with Adobe XD in no time. SEE ALSO: Get 'Linux Server Security -- Hack and Defend' ($29 value) FREE for a limited time With plenty of detailed examples, this ebook from Sitepoint will teach you how to: Get… [Continue Reading]

If you always feel like there's not enough time in the day to get everything accomplished -- and we certainly do! -- this is the resource that can help change your workday and your life. Filled with insights into how the most successful people manage distractions, fight procrastination, and optimize their workspace, Successful Time Management For Dummies, 2nd Edition provides an in-depth look at the specific steps you can use to take back those precious hours and minutes to make more of your workday and your leisure time. SEE ALSO: Get 'Linux Server Security -- Hack and Defend' ($29 value)… [Continue Reading]

Raspberry Pi’s main operating system, the Debian-based Raspbian, gets updated every two years or so. The last release, Jessie, came out in 2015, and now its replacement has arrived. Say hello to Stretch. In case you were wondering, Debian releases are named after characters from Disney Pixar’s Toy Story trilogy. Jessie was the cowgirl introduced in Toy Story 2, and Stretch is a purple octopus from Toy Story 3. So what's new in the updated release? SEE ALSO: Raspberry Pi founder Eben Upton talks sales numbers, proudest moments, community projects, and Raspberry Pi 4 [Q&A] Most of the changes are… [Continue Reading]

Kodi is under the spotlight for third-party add-ons that allow pirated content, but it’s far from being the only way for users to view illegal TV shows and movies. Roku has a feature called 'private channels' (also referred to as 'hidden channels') that is designed to allow developers to test their creations ahead of making them available through Roku’s own store. Perhaps inevitably though, some of these channels are being used to stream pirated (or adult) content, and Roku isn’t happy. SEE ALSO: HBO leaks Game of Thrones S07E06 In response to this activity (and no doubt to head off… [Continue Reading]

Learn how to attack and defend the world’s most popular web server platform. Linux Server Security: Hack and Defend presents a detailed guide for experienced admins, aspiring hackers and other IT professionals seeking a more advanced understanding of Linux security. Written by a 20-year veteran of Linux server deployment, this book provides the insight of experience along with highly practical instruction. This ebook from Wiley will help you: Master hacking tools and launch sophisticated attacks: perform SQL injections, deploy multiple server exploits and crack complex passwords Defend systems and networks: make your servers invisible, be confident of your security with… [Continue Reading]

Kodi has been in the news a lot lately, and not for the best reasons. While the software itself isn’t illegal, using third-party add-ons to watch copyrighted content is, and many of those add-ons have been pulled recently following threats of legal action. Controversial add-on site TVAddons even vanished briefly from the web, before reappearing a week ago. Despite all this, it’s business as usual for the Kodi Foundation which does its best to distance itself from the piracy accusations so often leveled at it, and the team has just released a new build for the popular open source media… [Continue Reading]

Two months ago, Microsoft accidentally pushed out a buggy Windows 10 build to Insiders that caused chaos but also revealed something interesting -- the company's plans for a new version of Windows 10 aimed specifically at power users. The leak is now official as Microsoft announces Windows 10 Pro for Workstations, a high-end version of its new operating system. So what’s different about it? Well, Microsoft says it "comes with unique support for server grade PC hardware and is designed to meet demanding needs of mission critical and compute intensive workloads." Windows 10 Pro for Workstations will be available as… [Continue Reading]

Layout in CSS has always been a tricky task: hacking solutions using positioning, floats, and the one-dimensional flexbox has never been very satisfactory. Fortunately, there is a new tool to add to our arsenal: CSS Grid Layout. It is an incredibly powerful layout system that allows us to design pages using a two-dimensional grid -- offering the kind of fine-grained layout control that print designers take for granted. SEE ALSO: Get 'Better PHP Development' ($4.99 value) FREE for a limited time Designing with CSS Grid Layout includes tutorials hand-picked from SitePoint’s HTML & CSS channel that will get you up and running… [Continue Reading]

Two months ago, Russian security software firm Kaspersky Labs filed antitrust complaints against Microsoft in Europe, alleging that the software giant was favoring its own Windows Defender over third-party anti-virus software in Windows 10. In response to that lawsuit, Microsoft has made changes to how the forthcoming Windows 10 Fall Creators Update works with anti-virus software, and an appeased Kaspersky has dropped its complaint. SEE ALSO: Microsoft: We disabled third-party anti-virus software in Windows 10 Creators Update to keep users safe Writing about the situation, Rob Lefferts, Partner Director, Windows Enterprise and Security, says "Our top priority is and always… [Continue Reading]

Yesterday, Microsoft announced it was rolling out a new beta version for its Outlook.com webmail service. This offers a number of improvements for users, including better performance, a smarter inbox, and greater personalization. The problem, as with all Microsoft rollouts, is only some users will be able to access the beta. The majority have to wait to be invited, and that could take weeks. Fortunately, there’s a simply trick you can use to access the beta right now. All you have to do to get Outlook.com to offer you beta access is to log into the webmail site and then… [Continue Reading]

Better PHP Development covers a collection of content, providing tools and techniques to make you a better developer. If you’re just getting started with the language (or perhaps you've been using it a while and have learned some bad habits), you’re in luck. Not only will it be harder to slip up and make mistakes, but content such as this -- hand picked from the excellent SitePoint PHP channel -- will help you get started the right way. SEE ALSO: Get 'The Leadership Journey -- How to Master the Four Critical Areas of Being a Great Leader' ($15 value) FREE for a limited… [Continue Reading]

Outlook.com struggles a bit in the shadow of Google’s Gmail. While the latter is incredibly popular, Microsoft’s webmail service fails to attract users in the same way, which is a shame because it has a lot to offer. It might be pulling in more users soon though, as Outlook.com is set to receive a big makeover that, in Microsoft's own words, takes advantage of "recent advances in programming, design, and artificial intelligence." Among the promised changes are improved performance, a smarter inbox, and better personalization. If you want to try it out, you can. This is what you need to… [Continue Reading]

The Leadership Journey will help you master the essential skill set of the truly effective leader. This eBook from Wiley brings world-renown people and talent development expertise to bear in a discussion about 'good' versus 'great' leadership, sharing the 'secret sauce' of successful leadership, and providing an actionable framework for discovering and developing your own leadership skills and potential. You will learn to: Master the key elements of great leadership Understand why hard skills aren't enough Learn how to motivate and lead others Achieve more by helping others inspire and empower themselves Grounded in practical and proven real-world experience, this… [Continue Reading]

Two months ago, ProtonMail announced it was opening up its free VPN service to anyone who wanted to use it. There were some restrictions to be aware of, including limiting the number of countries you can pretend to be based in to just three, and throttling the speeds. It also only allows you to run it on one device. If you require more options, and a faster, more configurable service, you can sign up to a paid plan. That all seems fair enough. The problem with ProtonVPN’s free service is, well, it doesn’t seem to exist. If you sign up for… [Continue Reading]

One of the big complaints people had about Windows 10 when it first launched was how the new operating system spied on its users. Microsoft has since reigned in this spying and introduced controls to give users greater management over their privacy, and now the software company has issued a lovely piece of spin, with an equally lovely headline -- Your feedback is helping shape Windows privacy -- to convince Windows 10 doubters the problems of the past are rapidly receding. SEE ALSO: Windows 10 still failing to challenge Windows 7's market dominance I’m naturally cynical, so when I read… [Continue Reading]

It’s a good time to be a Windows Insider. Microsoft is busy cramming in last minute features and changes to the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (also known as Redstone 3), including rather unexpected surprises, and the builds are a lot more stable now. A week ago, Microsoft introduced the option to bypass any future Fall Creators Updates builds and skip ahead to the Redstone 4 branch. If that sounds like something you would have liked to have done, there’s some bad news -- it’s now too late. SEE ALSO: Windows 10 still failing to challenge Windows 7's market dominance… [Continue Reading]

Last month I reported how, according to NetMarketShare’s figures, Windows 10 had managed to grow its usage share by just 5 percentage points in an entire year. That's a shocking state of affairs for a relatively new -- and regularly updated -- operating system, especially given that Windows 7 enjoyed a 2 percentage overall increase in the same time frame. In July, perhaps buoyed by the news that the Windows 10 Creators Update was finally going to be offered to (nearly) all, Windows 10 posted its largest usage increase for three months, although still nothing for Microsoft to get excited… [Continue Reading]

Windows 10 Fall Creators Update isn’t too far off being ready for release, which should mean that the new builds we see are pretty unexciting, with bug fixes and minor improvements the order of the day. But it appears Microsoft didn’t get that memo, as there’s several big changes in new Build 16257, including one that no one saw coming, and which won't be visible to most. SEE ALSO: How to download and install Windows 10 S The Windows Console (or the Command Prompt if you prefer) is getting a new color scheme in this build. The legacy blue is… [Continue Reading]

Better PHP Development covers a collection of content, providing tools and techniques to make you a better developer. If you’re just getting started with PHP (or perhaps you've been using it a while and have learned some bad habits), you’re in luck. Not only will it be harder to slip up and make mistakes, but content such as this -- handpicked from the excellent SitePoint PHP channel -- will help you get started the right way. SEE ALSO: Get 'Virtualization Essentials, Second Edition' ($21 value) FREE for a limited time This collection comprises: How PHP Executes -- from Source Code to Render by Thomas… [Continue Reading]

Virtualization Essentials, Second Edition takes a learning-by-doing approach to give you hands-on training and a core understanding of virtualization. As more and more companies are leveraging virtualization, it's imperative that IT professionals have the skills and knowledge to interface with virtualization-centric infrastructures. Virtualization Essentials, Second Edition provides new and aspiring IT professionals with immersive training in working with virtualization environments. Clear, straightforward discussions simplify complex concepts, and the hands-on tutorial approach helps you quickly get up to speed on the fundamentals. SEE ALSO: Get 'Learn Linux in 5 Days' for FREE This ebook will help you: Understand how virtualization works Create a virtual machine… [Continue Reading]

Windows 10 S is a special locked down version of Microsoft’s new operating system. It’s aimed primarily at those in education, and can only run apps from the Windows Store, which offers security benefits, including protection from ransomware. While the OS is predominately to be found on new hardware like the Surface Laptop, Microsoft last week made it available for developers, and from today anyone can officially download and install it. Here’s how. Firstly go to this page here. Although it’s for testing Windows 10 s on existing education devices, anyone can download the self-installer. Read the information to make… [Continue Reading]

If you want to learn how to use Linux -- either for fun, or to level up your career -- but are pressed for time, this ebook is for you. In Learn Linux in 5 Days, you will learn the most important concepts and commands of Linux, and be guided step-by-step through several practical and real-world examples. As new concepts, commands, or jargon are encountered they are explained in plain language, making it easy to understand. The most important material is condensed into five sections, each designed to be consumed in a day. Here is what you will learn: How… [Continue Reading]

Minecraft fans can play the Microsoft-owned game on a variety of platforms, including PC, Android, iOS, and console. It’s great fun as it is, but things are about to get even better, as from today Microsoft releases a beta that will let you play the game with friends across different devices. Today’s 'Better Together Update' is available on Windows 10 PC and Android. There will also be a beta on Xbox One released in the coming days. The update is designed to unify the console, mobile and Windows 10 PC versions of the game under one single Minecraft edition which… [Continue Reading]

The big, standout new feature in Windows 10 Fall Creators Update Build 16251 is cross-device web-browsing. This lets you start browsing on your phone, and then switch to your PC and continue from where you left off. The feature was initially only available for Android, but Microsoft promised that it would arrive on iOS "soon." Well, it’s here even sooner than expected and iPhone and iPad users can grab it now. SEE ALSO: How to use the new cross-device web-browsing feature in Windows 10 Fall Creators Update You need to be a Windows Insider to use it, and will also… [Continue Reading]

Dolby Atmos is a surround sound technology from Dolby Laboratories. It debuted in 2012, and is designed to "pull you inside the action" with sound that moves around you in a three-dimensional space without being constrained to channels. Microsoft supports Dolby Access in Windows 10 Creators Update, and enabling it and using it is straightforward, but there are some catches to be aware of. Firstly, if you want to experience Dolby Atmos for home theater you’ll need to have a PC that supports HDMI output, and a Dolby Atmos enabled home theater system, sound bar, or TV. You can also… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft today announced that it’s finally making the Windows 10 Creators Update available to all, and it’s also opening up Windows 10 S to developers. Windows 10 S is a locked down version of the new operating system that’s designed to only run Windows Store apps. It’s to be found on hardware like the Surface Laptop. SEE ALSO: How to lock down Windows 10 Home/Pro like Windows 10 S MSDN subscribers who want to try the operating system out can now download it in ISO format and run it on any hardware, or in a virtualized environment. Microsoft is really… [Continue Reading]

The Windows 10 Creators Update rollout has been glacially slow, and -- at times -- problematic. Shortly after it began, back at the start of April, Microsoft suggested people didn’t manually install it, and three months after its official release only half of Windows 10 users were running it. Finally, though, with the horrendously named Fall Creators Update due soon, Microsoft has made the decision to finally offer the current feature update to all -- well nearly all. SEE ALSO: All the features Microsoft is removing or deprecating in Windows 10 Fall Creators Update Announcing the move, John Cable, Director… [Continue Reading]

New Windows 10 Fall Creators Update Build 16251 is rolling out now and brings with it lots of changes and some great new features, such as the ability to shut down or restart your PC using Cortana voice controls. The standout feature though is cross-device web-browsing that lets you browse the web on an Android phone and then switch to continue browsing the same site on your Windows 10 PC. Here’s how to use it. To get started, all you have to do is go to Settings > Phone and link your device there. This is a security step that… [Continue Reading]

It’s been two weeks since Microsoft rolled out a new Windows 10 build to Insiders on the Fast ring. Build 16241 came with a sizeable number of improvements and fixes, with a large number of those focused on the Mixed Reality side of things. Today the software giant pushes out Build 16251, and the main focus here is on cross-device web-browsing -- that is linking your PC and Android phones together (support for iPhone is coming soon) so you can browse the web on your mobile device and then continue browsing the same site on your PC. SEE ALSO: Windows… [Continue Reading]

Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (aka Redstone 3) is nearly done. Microsoft is just working to kill all the bugs and stabilize the release now. It won’t begin the official rollout for a while -- and if the speed of the Creators Update rollout is anything to go by you likely won’t get it for months anyway -- but the software giant is already looking to the future, and Redstone 4. Insiders who want to remain on the cutting edge at all times will be given the chance to 'skip ahead' and start receiving builds from that future branch if… [Continue Reading]

Yesterday, I wrote how Microsoft’s simple graphics program Paint was getting killed off after 32 years’ service, but it seems it’s not dead yet. Microsoft is going to be retiring it from future versions of Windows 10, but you’ll still be able to get Paint from the Windows Store. In a blog post titled, 'MS Paint is here to stay', Microsoft says: Today, we’ve seen an incredible outpouring of support and nostalgia around MS Paint. If there’s anything we learned, it’s that after 32 years, MS Paint has a lot of fans. It’s been amazing to see so much love… [Continue Reading]

Among the list of features set to be removed or deprecated in Windows 10 Fall Creators Update is Microsoft Paint, a fixture of Windows since the operating system’s first release back in 1985. Microsoft doesn’t give any explanation as to why it’s being removed. Indeed, in the list of features being dropped it simply says "Microsoft Paint." Everything else in the list, including Outlook Express, has at least a one-line explanation. What a sad, inglorious ending. Paint, of course, was never really up to much. It’s long been famed for its simplicity and frankly basic nature. While there have been… [Continue Reading]

Each new big update for Windows 10 introduces a wealth of new features. The forthcoming Fall Creators Update will be no different, delivering lots of improvements as well as new components like OneDrive Files On-Demand, and My People. But when Microsoft giveth, it also taketh away, dropping various features and functionalities from its new build. In preparation for the release of the Fall Creators Update, Microsoft has released the full list of features that will be removed or deprecated from the new version. Removed features 3D Builder app No longer installed by default. Consider using Print 3D and Paint 3D… [Continue Reading]

Earlier in the week, I wrote about how the Windows 10 Creators Update was incompatible with certain PCs already running Windows 10. Devices powered by Intel’s Atom Clover Trail CPU couldn’t install the latest feature update, even though upgrading from Windows 8x to Windows 10, and the Anniversary Update, worked fine. A post from Acer suggested that it was a temporary glitch and that Microsoft was working to address the incompatibility, providing a glimmer of hope for users of the affected devices, but it turns out that’s not the case. Atom Clover Trail processors won’t be supported in the Creators… [Continue Reading]

Calling the next big Windows 10 feature update the "Fall Creators Update" always seemed like a bit of an odd decision when countries outside of the USA and Canada use Autumn, and not Fall, to describe the season that follows summer. So when it was reported, earlier in the week, that the update would be called the Autumn Creators Update for some parts of the world, we weren’t entirely surprised. The new name appeared on Microsoft’s regional pages, so it seemed pretty official. But, as it turns out, that’s not the case at all. SEE ALSO: Fall/Autumn Creators Update --… [Continue Reading]

The Windows 10 Creators Update rollout began in April, but unless you took it upon yourself to manually update your PC, there’s a good chance you won’t have been offered it, especially if have an older system. In June, according to AdDuplex, just 35.7 percent of Windows 10 users were running the latest feature update. AdDuplex has just updated its figures for July, and this shows that 50.1 percent of Windows 10 users now have the update. That might seem like a big jump forward, but to put the speed of the upgrade into context, three months after its rollout… [Continue Reading]

Here at BetaNews, we’re big fans and supporters of the Raspberry Pi. The super-affordable ARM GNU/Linux computer has brought programming back into schools (and beyond) and enjoyed staggering success, becoming the most successful British computer of all time, in just a few short years. I chatted with Eben Upton, creator of the Raspberry Pi, about his success, most memorable highlights, and plans for the future. BN: The last time we did a Q&A with you (four years ago now), you’d just sold your millionth Pi. You’ve come a long way since then -- how many Pis have you sold now?… [Continue Reading]

The Creators Update rollout is continuing at a glacial pace, with most Windows 10 users yet to be offered it. The reason for this is Microsoft wants to make sure the update is fully compatible with PCs before it’s pushed to them (you can, of course, download and install the update manually at any time). However, it turns out there’s a whole class of PCs running Windows 10 that simply can’t be upgraded to the Creators Update. And these aren’t old PCs either. SEE ALSO: Fall/Autumn Creators Update -- how about a Windows 10 name that doesn’t suck, Microsoft? As… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft has been producing operating systems for decades, but it’s never been very good at naming them. Things started off well enough, with a straightforward numbering system -- Windows 1.0, Windows 2.0, Windows 3.0. Then the company opted for a year-based approach -- Windows 95, Windows 98 -- before switching to using letters -- Windows ME (Millennium Edition) and XP (eXPerience, eXtra Patches?). Then we had Windows Vista, followed by a return to numbers -- Windows 7 and Windows 8, and a random jump to Windows 10. And now we’re getting twice yearly updates for that latest operating system, with… [Continue Reading]

If you’re in the market for some wireless headphones, and you own an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and/or Mac, then Apple’s AirPods are likely on your list of possible purchases. Once setup, they’re always on, always connected, and they can detect when they’re in your ears, so the music will pause the second you remove them. The biggest downside, besides the $159 asking price, is they only come in one color -- white. That’s not great if you own a Jet Back iPhone, or you just don’t like white headphones. But it is possible to get them in black, and… [Continue Reading]

MacX Video Converter Pro is an all-in-one video toolkit that can download, convert, compress, repair, record and edit video in a few clicks, giving you complete control over all video files at 83x faster speed. It’s available for both Mac and Windows, and the main features include: SEE ALSO: Get Networking For Dummies, 11th Edition ($15.99 value) FREE for a limited time Fastest video converter: Built-in 370 video/audio codecs, it is able to convert any video to popular video/audio formats, The 350+ preset profiles allows you to convert video to iPhone 6/6 Plus, iPad Air 2/Mini 3, iPod, Apple TV… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft’s annual ebook giveaway sees the company offering vast amounts of guides for free. These are high-quality titles covering pretty much every Microsoft product or service you care to think of. There are millions of Microsoft ebooks up for grabs, and you can download as many -- or as few -- as you'd like (or all of them if you're feeling greedy), and they are available in a choice of formats -- PDF, MOBI, EPUB and DOC. SEE ALSO: Get Networking For Dummies, 11th Edition ($15.99 value) FREE for a limited time The titles are sorted into a selection of… [Continue Reading]

As was expected, just after releasing the ISO files for Windows 10 Fall Creators Update Build 16232 to all Windows Insiders, Microsoft has rolled out a brand new build just for those on the Fast ring. Build 16241 comes with a sizeable number of improvements and fixes. These include some minor Windows Shell improvements (including softening the noise layer of Acrylic Material), and some PC gaming tweaks. The GPU section of the Task Manager, which was introduced in the previous build, has had some design changes, and Microsoft Edge’s processes are now being labeled differently in the Task Manager (try… [Continue Reading]

Manage stress and boost your productivity at work using mindfulness. Mindfulness at Work Essentials For Dummies explores the many benefits of utilizing mindfulness techniques in the workplace, offering managers, HR professionals and business people of all levels guidance on how mindfulness can help with the development of core business skills. Innovative companies like Google have made mindfulness in the workplace a hot topic -- and for good reason. SEE ALSO: Get Networking For Dummies, 11th Edition ($15.99 value) FREE for a limited time The Mindfulness at Work Essentials For Dummies ebook: Provides an introduction to mindfulness and how it can… [Continue Reading]

There are a lot of new features and improvements to look forward to in the forthcoming Fall Creators Update for Windows 10, including OneDrive Files On-Demand, My People, Story Remix, Power Throttling, new UI for both the Start and Action Center, a lot of Edge and Cortana improvements, a currency converter in Calculator, new emoji, and more. If you’re thinking of joining the Windows 10 Insider program, or you just want to do a clean install with an up to date version of the Fall Creators Update, the good news is Microsoft has released a new ISO image. The image,… [Continue Reading]

Need networking know-how, but don't know where to turn? Whether you're a networking administrator or an everyday computer user looking to set up a network in your home or office, Networking For Dummies seamlessly gets you connected with the basics and gives you the knowledge to work out whatever kinks may come your way -- in no time. Inside you'll find step-by-step instructions on setting up and maintaining a network, and ensuring you're following best practices with storage and back-up procedures. This ebook will show you how to: Set up a network for all major operating systems. Secure, optimize, and troubleshoot your network.… [Continue Reading]

It used to be very easy to find pirated movies, music and software using Google Search, but the company has taken steps over the past few years to downgrade sites offering easy access to such material. You can still find that content of course, it’s just a lot harder than it used to be. But despite this crackdown, Google has just introduced a new feature that makes it much easier to find the best Torrent sites. All you have to do is search for "best torrent sites" and the search giant will list the recommended choices in a banner at… [Continue Reading]

Last summer, industry website Music Business Worldwide ran a story claiming that Spotify was bulking up its platform with 'fake artists' created by producers under untraceable pseudonyms. Culture publication Vulture brought the story to a wider audience a few days ago, prompting Spotify to finally release a statement vehemently denying the allegations, but here’s where it gets interesting. The claim is that Spotify has sourced tracks from fake artists to use on popular genre-based playlists such as Peaceful Piano, Piano In The Background, Deep Focus, Sleep, Ambient Chill and Music For Concentration. These tracks have racked up millions of plays… [Continue Reading]

It’s a great time to be a Windows Insider at the moment, as the past two Windows 10 builds -- Build 16226 and 16232 -- are jam packed with new features and major improvements. Build 16237 arrives today in time for the weekend, and like its predecessors, it offers a lot of changes, fixes, and additions. SEE ALSO: Microsoft drops Timeline from the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update First up in the new build are the inevitable raft of Edge improvements. Almost every new build includes changes to the browser, and in Build 16237, the main additions are a read… [Continue Reading]

Running is a great way to get fit and lose weight, but it’s rarely fun. London-based developer Six to Start has changed all that with Zombies, Run!, the most popular smartphone fitness game in the world, which transforms a boring run into an action-packed journey through the zombie apocalypse. I’m a big fan, having used it since the early days, as well as other Six to Start apps, including The Walk, and Racelink. I spoke with Adrian Hon, CEO of Six to Start, and he told me about the app’s early days, and what’s next for the company. SEE ALSO:… [Continue Reading]

Kodi is a very flexible media center that you can use to watch local media, or stream content via third-party add-ons. If you share Kodi with other family members you can set up user profiles for each person who uses the software. This will let you all keep what you watch separate and you can control what content your children have access to. SEE ALSO: How to play Kodi streams in VLC Media Player Setting up profiles is just a matter of launching Kodi and clicking the gear icon at the top left to open the program settings. In the… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft has made a change to its cloud synchronization and storage service OneDrive that requires users to use NTFS formatted drives. The change came out of the blue, with no announcement from Microsoft, meaning that anyone using a non-NTFS drive, such as an SD card, suddenly found themselves unable to use their OneDrive shares, and as you might expect they aren’t too happy about that. When users link OneDrive to a location that has a different filesystem than NTFS they see a message stating that the drive must be formatted with the NTFS to work with OneDrive. And if they… [Continue Reading]

Over on Ghacks, Martin Brinkmann posted his thoughts on Microsoft’s Windows 10 feature updates schedule. The software giant is committed to rolling out two major updates to Windows 10 every year. In April we had the Creators Update, and in a few months' time the Fall Creators Update will begin to roll out. Martin asks if this rapid release schedule is such a wise idea, and he has a good point. Microsoft was already forced to drop My People from the Creators Update because it wasn’t going to be ready in time, and now it’s dropped Timeline and Cloud Clipboard… [Continue Reading]

Matroska Multimedia Container -- or MKV as it’s more commonly known -- is a great format that supports most codecs and offers a lot of features. It can store numerous video, audio and subtitle tracks, in addition to any metadata. If you have an MKV video with (non-hardcoded) subtitles, turning them on or off can be quite simple, if you’re watching the video in an app like VLC Media Player (just go into the Subtitle menu and access the options there). But these subtitles may play by default if viewed on a TV, for example, with no way of disabling… [Continue Reading]

One of the most hotly anticipated new features in the forthcoming Windows 10 Fall Creators Update is Timeline. Similar to how Apple's continuity feature works with macOS and iOS, Timeline will allow users to switch between Windows 10 devices and pick up where they left off. Perhaps most excitingly, it should even work on some Microsoft apps running on iOS and Android. Unfortunately, if you’re one of the many Windows 10 users eagerly awaiting its arrival, we’ve some bad news. SEE ALSO: Most Windows 10 users still haven't been offered the Creators Update -- even owners of Surface devices "Timeline… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft says that in order for Windows 10 users to remain secure, "your device should be updated to the latest feature update." The problem with this is that not everyone has been offered the latest feature update. Two months after it launched, the Creators Update continues to roll out at a glacial pace, meaning the majority of people running Windows 10 are still on the Anniversary Update, and that includes users of Microsoft’s own Surface range of devices. SEE ALSO: Windows 10's share grew by just 5 percent in a year According to the latest figures from AdDuplex, 58.3 percent… [Continue Reading]

According to NetMarketShare’s figures, Windows 10’s share of the desktop operating system market remains pretty uninspiring, with growth much slower than you’d expect. In fact in a year, the new OS has grown by just over 5 percent. In comparison, Windows 7 grew by 2 percent in the same time frame. Of course, this is usage share, rather than market share, but in some ways that’s more important as it shows the percentage of people actually using the different operating systems. SEE ALSO: Microsoft: We disabled third-party anti-virus software in Windows 10 Creators Update to keep users safe June wasn’t… [Continue Reading]

According to NetMarketShare’s figures, Windows 10’s share of the desktop operating system market remains pretty uninspiring, with growth much slower than you’d expect. In fact in a year, the new OS has grown by just over 5 percent. In comparison, Windows 7 grew by 2 percent in the same time frame. Of course, this is usage share, rather than market share, but in some ways that’s more important as it shows the percentage of people actually using the different operating systems. SEE ALSO: Microsoft: We disabled third-party anti-virus software in Windows 10 Creators Update to keep users safe June wasn’t… [Continue Reading]

Much like Apple’s Handoff feature, Samsung’s Flow app lets you switch between different devices seamlessly. It originally only worked on Samsung phones and tablets, including the Windows 10-based Galaxy TabPro S, but an update means you can now use your smartphone to unlock any PC running the Windows 10 Creators Update. You can also use Flow to perform other useful tasks, such as checking notifications across devices, and replying to messages directly. Samsung revealed it was planning to make this change back in February and estimated the feature would roll out in April. In the end it took quite a bit… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft came very close to launching a smaller version of its Surface slate three years ago. The Surface Mini, as it was rumored to be called, was expected to see the light of day alongside the Surface Pro 3, but mysteriously there was no sign of it at the software giant’s launch event in New York. During the company's earnings report a few months after the launch event, Microsoft admitted it had been working on the diminutive device, but had decided "to not ship a new form factor" after all, although it didn’t give a reason. Due to the late… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft came very close to launching a smaller version of its Surface slate three years ago. The Surface Mini, as it was rumored to be called, was expected to see the light of day alongside the Surface Pro 3, but mysteriously there was no sign of it at the software giant’s launch event in New York. During the company's earnings report a few months after the launch event, Microsoft admitted it had been working on the diminutive device, but had decided "to not ship a new form factor" after all, although it didn’t give a reason. Due to the late… [Continue Reading]

Ransomware is barely out of the news these days. We had WannaCry wreaking havoc not so long ago, and now it’s the turn of Petya/NotPetya. And those are just two of the better-known threats; there are plenty more forms of ransomware out there which, while maybe not as prevalent, can have just as devastating an effect. If you’re concerned about the threat of ransomware, which is easily one of the nastiest forms of malware out there, we have a selection of ebooks and whitepapers you can download for free which will give you all the knowledge you need to avoid… [Continue Reading]

It may seem strange now, but when the iPhone originally launched (10 years today, as if you didn’t already know by now), it wasn’t viewed as a smartphone in some quarters because of restrictions placed on the device by Apple. Wireless industry analyst firm ABI Research’s definition of a smartphone was "a cellular handset using an open, commercial operating system that supports third-party applications", but Apple at that time was blocking third-party apps from the iPhone. SEE ALSO: This is what people thought about the first iPhone In an interview with Newsweek’s Steven Levy, Apple CEO Steve Jobs explained the… [Continue Reading]

On January 9, 2007, Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone at the Macworld Conference and Expo in San Francisco. It was the usual quality presentation from Apple’s sorely missed boss, with some great moments of humor. Our first glimpse of the phone was in fact actually a mock-up of an iPod with a rotary dial in place of the usual click wheel. The audience clapped and hooted. Jobs then went on to show the real device, and it was pretty mind-blowing. Here was a phone that looked nothing like a phone. It looked nothing like an iPod, for that matter either.… [Continue Reading]

The original iPhone went on sale ten years ago today, and in celebration I’ve been trawling through the BetaNews archives. Sadly we didn’t review the first iPhone, but we did gather together some of the best press and user comments following the device’s announcement, and they are amusing to say the least. Below is the original story written by Ed Oswald, and underneath that are some of the best reader responses to it. Knowing what we know now, I think you’ll find it entertaining. SEE ALSO: The original iPhone launch in pictures The Buzz: iPhone Reaction Mostly Positive While most… [Continue Reading]

Much like Apple’s Handoff feature, Samsung’s Flow app lets you switch between different devices seamlessly. It originally only worked on Samsung phones and tablets, including the Windows 10-based Galaxy TabPro S, but an update means you can now use your smartphone to unlock any PC running the Windows 10 Creators Update. You can also use Flow to perform other useful tasks, such as checking notifications across devices, and replying to messages directly. Samsung revealed it was planning to make this change back in February and estimated the feature would roll out in April. In the end it took quite a bit… [Continue Reading]

Much like Apple’s Handoff feature, Samsung’s Flow app lets you switch between different devices seamlessly. It originally only worked on Samsung phones and tablets, including the Windows 10-based Galaxy TabPro S, but an update means you can now use your smartphone to unlock any PC running the Windows 10 Creators Update. You can also use Flow to perform other useful tasks, such as checking notifications across devices, and replying to messages directly. Samsung revealed it was planning to make this change back in February and estimated the feature would roll out in April. In the end it took quite a bit… [Continue Reading]

When the original iPhone went on sale ten years ago today, there was a lot of excitement, and people queued up outside of Apple stores to get their hands on what was to be a game-changing device. Trawling through the BetaNews archives I found two examples that best illustrate the excitement at the time, including a very illuminating first hand report from Tim Conneally. First up is a selection of photos from iPhone launches across the US. Apple employee demos the iPhone to those waiting in line in Towson, Maryland Line to Apple Store circles Towson Town Center Shall I… [Continue Reading]

We’re back on the weekly release schedule, and after two jam-packed exciting new builds you might be forgiven for thinking the latest big Insider release would be a little light on new features and… you’d be wrong. Build 16232 introduces some of the new security features which will be coming to the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, including Exploit Protection, and Controlled folder access in Windows Defender Antivirus. It also introduces improvements for Windows Defender Application Guard (WDAG). SEE ALSO: With Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, Microsoft is going all-in on security If you’re not familiar, Windows Defender Application Guard… [Continue Reading]

There are a lot of different types of cases for your smartphone, but many of them look cheap, or frankly, boring. Not so the cases in the RÖK collection. These striking cases are made from real stone, and are unlike anything else you’ll have seen before. If you have an iPhone, a Samsung Galaxy flagship, a Google Pixel, or the LG V20, and are looking for a stylish case to protect it, then the RÖK range certainly fits the bill. The cases are available in a selection of styles -- Space, Meteor, Aztec, Mars, Crater, Canyon, and Volcanic -- and… [Continue Reading]

Kodi itself isn’t illegal, but using third-party add-ons to watch copyrighted content is. Over the past few weeks we’ve seen some developers pull their add-ons in the face of legal action, and 'fully-loaded' Kodi boxes have been in the firing line for a while. So far ordinary Kodi users have escaped scrutiny, but that could be about to change as a major anti-piracy organization has expressed its intention to come after end users in "the very near future." Kieron Sharp, the chief executive of the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), detailed his plans to the Independent, and explains how authorities… [Continue Reading]

Windows Insiders on the Fast ring have received two major new builds recently, but as always it’s been much quieter for those on the Slow ring. However, a new build is on its way, and in preparation for that, Microsoft has a released cumulative update KB4022716 to those on the Slow ring. Insider chief Dona Sarkar also reveals Insiders won’t get the forthcoming new build automatically. SEE ALSO: Microsoft releases monster Windows 10 Fall Creators Update Build 16226 to the Fast ring, and it's packed with new features The cumulative update is designed to keep Slow Insiders up to date… [Continue Reading]

It’s not uncommon these days to see people complaining about how complex JavaScript development seems to have become. If you’re learning JS, it won’t take long for you to be exposed to the enormity of the ecosystem and the sheer number of moving pieces you need to understand (at least conceptually) to build a modern web application. Package management, linting, transpilation, module bundling, minification, source maps, frameworks, unit testing, hot reloading… it can’t be denied that this is a lot more complex than just including a couple of script tags in your page and FTPing it up to the server.… [Continue Reading]

Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg announced earlier today that the social network now has 2 billion users. In celebration of that milestone, Facebook also shared some other interesting snippets of information, such as that over 800 million people Like something on Facebook every day, and 175 million people share a Love reaction. In addition, more than 1 billion people use Groups every month. Facebook says over the coming days it will launch a personalized video to "celebrate bringing the world closer together." This may appear in your News Feed or you can see it by visiting facebook.com/goodaddsup. In addition, if you… [Continue Reading]

Windows 10’s File History feature automatically backs up your files to another drive and lets you restore them if the originals get lost, damaged, or deleted. It’s saved my bacon on more than one occasion and I wouldn’t be without it. However, starting with the accidental Insider Build 16212 released earlier this month, the feature disappeared, and was still missing in Build 16215 which followed a week later. For Insiders lamenting the loss of the feature, the great news is that although Microsoft hasn’t mentioned it, File History is back in Build 16226. Microsoft never gave a reason as to… [Continue Reading]

Somewhat controversially, Google has always scanned messages in Gmail in order to be able to present users with relevant, personalized adverts based on the email content. That’s something that has always worried people who are concerned with what personal information the company might be gleaning from their inboxes. In a surprise announcement, the search giant today declares its intention to end the long-standing policy. Diane Green, SVP, Google Cloud explains: G Suite’s Gmail is already not used as input for ads personalization, and Google has decided to follow suit later this year in our free consumer Gmail service. Consumer Gmail… [Continue Reading]

On Wednesday, Microsoft rolled out Build 16226 for Windows Insiders on the Fast ring. While this Windows 10 Fall Creators Update build is a little buggier than most, it’s also jam-packed full of new features and improvements, including Edge tweaks, new Emoji, OneDrive Files On-Demand, a new Currency Converter function in Calculator, and updates to Storage Sense and Touch Keyboard. It turns out there are also some other big improvements that we weren’t initially aware of, and more known issues to watch out for, including one that prevents the new build from installing correctly. SEE ALSO: Microsoft releases monster Windows… [Continue Reading]

Scratch provides a great introduction to programming for all ages, which is why it's included in Raspbian, the operating system that powers the Raspberry Pi. You can also use it to write code to control and respond to components connected to the GPIO (General Purpose Input and Output) pins on a Pi, and there’s a new version of the tool available from today. Interacting with GPIO pins in Scratch 2.0 is easier than before, with custom blocks for setting the pin output (and getting the current pin state) replacing the old text-based broadcast instructions, which is a big step in… [Continue Reading]

If you’re a Windows Insider, you know that the test versions of Windows 10 that Microsoft rolls out to you on a regular basis aren’t going to be entirely stable and problem free. Especially if you’re on the Fast ring. But the latest release, Build 16226, which Microsoft pushed out yesterday, seems buggier than most (albeit not as problematic as Build 16212 which got released by accident three weeks ago). SEE ALSO: Microsoft releases monster Windows 10 Fall Creators Update Build 16226 to the Fast ring, and it's packed with new features As noted by OnMSFT, Insiders have been reporting… [Continue Reading]

Two weeks ago, Microsoft released Build 16215 to Windows 10 Insiders on the Fast ring. This introduced a wealth of new features including major UI improvements to Start and Action Center, and updates to the Edge browser, Cortana, My People, Night Light, and more. Today, the software giant rolls out Build 16226 and this one is similarly jam-packed with new features and improvements. SEE ALSO: Windows Insiders can now try out OneDrive's Files On-Demand feature -- here's how First off are the obligatory Microsoft Edge updates -- it seems every new build has to introduce new features to the browser.… [Continue Reading]

Skype has been having problems this week as a result of a DDoS attack which began on Monday. The Skype team acknowledged the problem, confirming that "some users will either lose connectivity to the application or may be unable to send or receive messages" as a result. In order to mitigate the impact, Microsoft made some configuration changes which seems to have helped. A group called CyberTeam has claimed responsibility for the attack, and says it plans to target gaming platform Steam next. CyberTeam, which is apparently based in Portugal and has in the past defaced numerous websites, took to… [Continue Reading]

Two weeks ago, Kaspersky Labs filed antitrust complaints against Microsoft in Europe, alleging that the software giant disabled third-party antivirus software in Windows 10 in order to benefit Windows Defender. In a long blog post today, Rob Lefferts, director of program management for Windows enterprise and security, admits (without mentioning Kaspersky specifically) that Microsoft "temporarily" disabled some parts of AV software it considered incompatible with Windows 10 Creators Update. SEE ALSO: Microsoft: 'No known ransomware works against Windows 10 S' Lefferts explains that "because AV software can be deeply entwined within the operating system, we doubled down on our efforts… [Continue Reading]

Fidget spinners are this year’s big craze, especially among school children. There are lots of different types, and they can cost anything from a few dollars to a few thousand dollars. Google is getting in on the fad, introducing a virtual fidget spinner to its search site. In order to access it, just type in spinner and the spinner will load. You can control it by clicking the Spin button, or by spinning it using your mouse or fingers. It works particularly well on mobile. In addition to the standard fidget spinner, there’s a number-based version you can switch to.… [Continue Reading]

The Essential Job Interview Handbook will help job seekers prepare effectively for interviews and become familiar with different types of interview questions and styles of interviews. A unique feature of this book from Career Press is the multiple answers it provides for each question, rated good, better, and best; with this feature, you'll learn what makes a winning answer and understand the strategy behind it. SEE ALSO: Get 'Designing UX: Prototyping' ebook ($30 value) FREE for a limited time This book will help you: Prepare yourself with realistic tools, skills, and answers Impress any potential employer Rise above the competition… [Continue Reading]

If you’re involved in user experience design -- be it as a web designer or a software developer -- you’ll know that identifying and fixing problems is easier and cheaper if it can be done earlier in the process of design and build. As work on a project progresses, so the effort involved in making any changes increases. If you can test out early ideas, via prototyping, then you can quickly identify whether those ideas are going to work. This great ebook from SitePoint -- which usually retails for $30 -- will tell you everything you need to know about… [Continue Reading]

How to Measure Anything in Cybersecurity Risk exposes the shortcomings of current "risk management" practices, and offers a series of improvement techniques that help you fill in the holes and ramp up security. This book, from Wiley, sheds light on these blatant risks, and provides alternate techniques that can help improve your current situation. You'll also learn which approaches are too risky to save, and are actually more damaging than a total lack of any security. Explore solutions where they exist and learn when to change tracks entirely. This book will encourage you to: Discover the shortcomings of cybersecurity's "best… [Continue Reading]

Apple has Siri, Amazon has Alexa, Google has Google Assistant, and Microsoft has Cortana. Samsung doesn’t currently have a voice assistant, but one is on its way. Bixby is described as "an intelligent, personalized interface for using your smartphone" and Samsung is aiming to make it more advanced than the competition. It was expected that Bixby would be included on the Galaxy S8 and S8+ at launch, but unfortunately its arrival was delayed as it struggled to understand English. The wait is nearly over however, as from today users can sign up to be the first to try out Bixby… [Continue Reading]

Kodi does a great job of playing audio and video. However, if you prefer VLC Media Player, the good news is you can use that to watch all (or just some) of your Kodi content. The process of redirecting playback is very straightforward, and once set up you can choose which player to use on a per-case basis. This gives you the best of both worlds. You can use Kodi to choose what to play, and then benefit from all the features that VLC offers, including all of its effects and filters. SEE ALSO: How to install add-ons and watch… [Continue Reading]

Although I love the look of my Jet Black iPhone 7, I can be a bit clumsy at times, so I’ll always protect it with a case. There are plenty of phone case choices out there, but my new favorites -- by some margin -- are those from the RÖK collection. The latest cases from WÜD are made with real stone harvested from a slate quarry. The pieces are sliced thinly, so they don’t add a lot of weight to your device (around 1.2oz/34 grams), and each one is handcrafted and unique. The cases aren’t exclusive to the iPhone either… [Continue Reading]

There are lots of programs you can use to keep your personal files and folders private, but can you be sure they’re 100 percent secure and don’t have any hidden backdoors to worry about? The diskAshur Pro 2 range of portable USB hard drives takes this worry away because they offer PIN authenticated XTS-AES 256-bit hardware encryption, and are fully tamper-proof/tamper evident. Unlocking the drive is just a matter of tapping your PIN into the large keypad and then pressing the unlock button. To secure it again, just press the lock button, or eject the drive. They also automatically lock… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft announced a new Files On-Demand feature for OneDrive at Build last month. This lets you access all of your files in the cloud without having to download them first. The files you have stored in OneDrive can be viewed in File Explorer and interacted with just like every other file on your device. If you used OneDrive on Windows 8.1 previously, you’ll be familiar with idea as it’s essentially an improved version of the old placeholders feature. If you’re a Windows Insider running Windows 10 build 16215 you can now download and install an update for OneDrive, which enables… [Continue Reading]

I have a one-year old Norwegian Forest cat called Daisy (see above) who likes to chew on cables. While she will occasionally have a go at thick cables, her preference is to gnaw on thinner ones. To date she has managed to destroy three microUSB charging cables, three Lightning cables, and two headphone cables. She’s very good at finding and biting through cables no matter how well hidden they are. UNBREAKcable, from Syncwire, is a charging cable with a lifetime warranty -- if it breaks or malfunctions, the company will replace it for you free of charge. That sounds promising,… [Continue Reading]

Docs.com is a file sharing service from Microsoft that lets you publish and share content from Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Sway, and Minecraft world, as well as PDF documents. It was originally created as part of a collaboration with Facebook in 2010, and then revamped in 2015. However, while it’s a useful site, it never really gained the traction that Microsoft had hoped for, and today, June 9, the software giant announces it’s shutting it down. Visitors to Docs.com will now see a banner stating: We are retiring Docs.com on December 15, 2017, and all content will be deleted. Please sign… [Continue Reading]

It’s been nearly three weeks since Microsoft last rolled out a new Windows 10 build to Insiders on the Fast ring. Well, three weeks if you don’t count the buggy, chaos-causing internal Build 16212 which leaked out last week. But today the wait for a new update is over, as Build 16215 comes to the Fast ring, and the good news is this release is definitely worth your attention, not least because it introduces new UI for both the Start and Action Center that makes use of Microsoft's new Fluent Design System. The software giant describes this as "an eloquent… [Continue Reading]

Keeping your garden free from weeds can be a tiresome and back-breaking job. Thankfully, Joe Jones, the creator of iRobot’s Roomba, has a solution -- a solar-powered robot that lives in home gardens and weeds every day so you don’t need to. I spoke with Joe about his new creation Tertill which, after two years development, is set to finally graduate from prototype to product this month. BN: Can you tell me about yourself and your background? JJ: I grew up in a little rural community in the Missouri Ozarks. I majored in physics at MIT but ended up in… [Continue Reading]

The pixel-perfect web is dead. The days of positioning elements on a web page and expecting them to always display exactly how we wanted are a distant memory; we now cope with the constant barrage of new and varied devices that our designs need to look fantastic on. Responsive web design is no longer a nice-to-have bonus feature, it’s an expected must-have. Jump Start Responsive Web Design, from SitePoint, aims to get you started understanding, and using, the suite of CSS and HTML tools available for responding to this new world of devices. It’s highly practical, with plenty of examples… [Continue Reading]

E3 2017 kicks off on Saturday, June 10 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, California, and Microsoft will be there to take the wraps off the latest Xbox announcements and future games. If you can’t be there yourself, don’t worry, as the Xbox E3 briefing will be streamed live as always, but for the first time Microsoft will be broadcasting it in 4K and there are numerous ways for you to tune in. If your monitor or TV is 4K capable, you’ll be able watch the briefing on the official Xbox Mixer Channel or on the Mixer app for Xbox… [Continue Reading]

Kodi has really hit it big in the past couple of years. While the home theater software is great for playing local content, its rise in popularity is largely down to Kodi's support for third-party add-ons that make it possible to stream any audio and video, including the latest blockbuster movies and TV shows. The process for installing third-party add-ons varies depending on the add-on, but assuming you’re running Kodi 17 Krypton (or later), we'll show you the easiest way to install all of the most popular ones. SEE ALSO: Kodi 18 'Leia' 64-bit for Windows is here, but some… [Continue Reading]

Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference is traditionally about software, but that certainly isn’t the case this year as the tech giant has refreshed its Mac line, and introduced a new HomePod speaker. Apple today also introduces all-new 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pros powered by a new A10X Fusion chip that Apple says "delivers incredible performance that rivals today’s fastest PC laptops" -- a clear dig at Microsoft. A six-core CPU and 12-core GPU reportedly delivers up to 30 percent faster CPU performance and 40 percent faster graphics performance than the A9X chip, but Apple says you’ll still get all-day battery life.… [Continue Reading]

At WWDC 2017, Apple has lifted the wraps of the next version of its mobile operating system. iOS 11 introduces a lot of new features, including improvements to Siri, Apple Photos, Apple Maps, and Apple Pay, a redesigned Control Center, a new Augmented Reality feature, and more. With Siri, Apple is introducing improved voices that sound more natural, and the digital assistant will be able to perform language translations. English, Chinese, French, German, Italian, and Spanish will all be supported. Siri will also be able to make suggestions of things that might be of interest to you -- such a… [Continue Reading]

Yesterday, Microsoft accidentally pushed out a new, buggy, internal Windows 10 build to PC and Mobile that caused big problems for users. The Windows-maker pulled the problematic Build 16212 quickly, but it was too late for some. In response, Microsoft issued an apology and offered some tips to help users who had installed the build to recover. However, despite this action, some users are still seeing Build 16212 waiting to be installed and for those people, Microsoft has an interesting solution -- time travel. If you’re still being offered the update, Windows Insider chief Dona Sarkar says you should turn… [Continue Reading]

Yesterday, Microsoft pushed out Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 16212 for PC and Mobile to users on the Fast, Slow, and Release Preview rings and the Retail version. Unfortunately the buggy build wasn’t intended to go out, causing problems for anyone who installed it. Apologizing for the "inconvenience", Windows Insider chief Dona Sarkar explains it "happened because an inadvertent deployment to the engineering system that controls which builds/which rings to push out to insiders." While Microsoft was quick to pull the update, it was too late for some. SEE ALSO: Microsoft accidentally releases buggy Windows 10 Insider Preview build that's… [Continue Reading]

It’s been a while since Microsoft pushed out a new build to Windows 10 Insiders, so it was expected that we’d see one today. However, Windows Insider chief Dona Sarkar put the kibosh on that earlier, stating "newer builds have WAY too many bugs to pass our selfhost bar." That should have been the end of things, but Build 16212 managed to escape into the wild -- hitting the Fast, Slow, Release Preview and Production rings -- and eager Insiders quickly discovered the downside of installing it. Build 16212 for Windows 10 Mobile has been sending phones into a loop.… [Continue Reading]

Practical Linux Security Cookbook, from Packt Publishing, will teach you how to secure your Linux machines and keep them secured with the help of exciting recipes. Whether you are new to Linux administration or an experienced user, this ebook will provide you with all the skills you need to make systems more secure. What You Will Learn: Learn about various vulnerabilities and exploits in relation to Linux systems. Configure and build a secure kernel and test it. Learn about file permissions and security and how to securely modify files. Explore various ways to authenticate local users while monitoring their activities.… [Continue Reading]

When Microsoft started the roll out of Windows 10 Creators Update on April 11, it seemed likely the new OS would see a boost in its market share as a result. Indeed, April’s usage figures from NetMarketShare suggested that was the case, with Windows 10’s share growing by a decent amount for the first time in months. But the Creators Update roll out has been more of a dribble out so far, with only 15.2 percent of US Windows 10 users running it, and the boost that the operating system enjoyed in April hasn’t continued in May. SEE ALSO: Windows… [Continue Reading]

This story isn’t actually "Fake News", but rather news about fakes. We all know Donald Trump loves Twitter (more than covfefe itself!), and with over 31 million followers it appears the 45th President of the United States of America is hugely popular on the social site. Except, well, his 31 million followers aren’t quite what they seem. According to twitteraudit, half of Trump’s followers are fake. The site, which takes a sample of 5,000 followers and calculates a score based on their Twitter activity, found that 15,044,248 of his followers were fake, with the other half, 15,910,994, considered to be… [Continue Reading]

At Build earlier this month, Microsoft announced Windows Mixed Reality dev kits from Acer and HP, and said that new products from other partners would be coming later in the year. At Computex today, Microsoft revealed future headsets from ASUS, Lenovo, and Dell that are set to go into production soon and bring Mixed Reality to the masses. Each has something different to offer. ASUS’s black headset sports a polygonal 3D cover panel with and an adjustable strap that’s been designed to be easy to setup with one hand. Microsoft says the headset will be "fast, powerful, and ultra-light with… [Continue Reading]

Lean Websites is a practical book on website performance for web developers, concentrating mainly on front-end performance improvement. It covers plenty of solid theory, but is also packed with useful, real world hints and tips that you can use on your sites today. The ebook, from SitePoint, examines the causes behind bloated and slow websites, dissects which assets of your page are necessary, which are nice to have, and which are not necessary at all and can be removed to shed some weight. It will help you understand what causes websites to be slow, and how to look for efficiency… [Continue Reading]

Users of older versions of Windows aren’t having the best time of it lately. Last week it was discovered that over 98 percent of those affected by the WannaCry ransomware were running Windows 7, and now a new bug has been found which can slow down and crash systems running that OS and Windows 8.1. The new bug is trivially easy to exploit, making just browsing the web potentially hazardous, and there’s currently no fix available. As Ars Technica reports, Windows 7 and 8.1 (and Vista) fail to handle files with "$MFT" in a directory name -- c:\$MFT\123 for example.… [Continue Reading]

The Raspberry Pi was designed to provide an ultra-cheap way to encourage schoolchildren to learn to code just as they had back in the 1980s and 90s. Although the uncased credit card sized computer has since found a highly appreciative audience outside of education, kids -- the computer scientists of the future -- remain a priority. CoderDojo is a global network of coding clubs for children aged from seven to 17 with the aim being to provide a safe and social place for kids to learn to program. It’s clear the two foundations have similar aims, which is why it’s… [Continue Reading]

Sexy Web Design is an easy-to-follow guide that reveals the secrets of how to build your own breath-taking web interfaces from scratch. You'll be guided through the entire process of creating a gorgeous, usable website by applying the timeless principles of user-centered design. Even if you're short on design skills, with this book you'll be creating your own stunning websites in no time at all. By downloading this ebook you will also receive updates covering all the technical aspects of web development. From the latest PHP techniques to advanced HTML, JavaScript, DHTML, XML, ASP and a whole lot more courtesy of… [Continue Reading]

Rails: Novice to Ninja is an easy-to-follow, practical, and fun guide to Ruby on Rails. Aimed at beginners, this ebook covers everything you need to get up and running, from installing Ruby, Rails and SQLite, to building and deploying a fully-featured web application. The third edition of this book has been fully updated to cover Rails 5, the latest version of the framework. SEE ALSO: Get 'Sexy Web Design' ebook ($29 value) FREE for a limited time Unlike many other Rails titles, this book doesn’t assume that you are an experienced web developer, or that you’ve used Ruby before. An… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft officially began the Windows 10 Creators Update rollout on April 11. I cautioned about rushing to upgrade to it at the time, and then Microsoft said much the same thing shortly afterwards, recommending users didn’t install it until the upgrade was offered to them. Six weeks since the rollout began, and still the Creators Update isn’t available to the vast majority of Windows 10 users. SEE ALSO: Microsoft recommends you don't install the Windows 10 Creators Update John Cable, Director of Program Management, Windows Servicing and Delivery, today announces that Microsoft has steadily been expanding the rollout, making it… [Continue Reading]

At today’s launch event in Shanghai, Microsoft officially took the wraps of its new Surface Pro tablet. There was no official live stream, and the software giant’s live blog was hit by technical difficulties which meant it wasn’t updated as intended, but we finally have the information on the new device, which Microsoft describes as "the most versatile laptop." Called simply Surface Pro, the tablet is a beautifully crafted device that’s the thinnest and fastest produced so far. It’s powered by the Core i7 7th Gen Kaby Lake processor, and promises 13.5 hours of battery life -- that's a big… [Continue Reading]

It’s been a week since the WannaCrypt/WannaCry ransomware cyber attacks began, and the repercussions are still being felt. It became clear quite early on that the ransomware was hitting older Windows systems hard (Windows 10 wasn’t affected), with a lot of talk focusing on the number of at-risk Windows XP systems still in service. But here’s the interesting thing. Most of the affected systems -- over 98 percent -- were actually running Windows 7. SEE ALSO: Microsoft patches Windows XP to fight the WannaCrypt ransomware attacks According to new figures released today by Kaspersky Labs, the 64-bit version of Windows… [Continue Reading]

From the words, to how the form looks, and on to interactivity, Designing UX: Forms will show you how to design a web form that works beautifully on mobiles, laptops and desktops. It’s filled with practical and engaging insights, and plenty of real-world examples, both good and bad. Designing UX: Forms, from SitePoint, usually retails for $30 dollars, but for a limited time BetaNews readers can get it free. SEE ALSO: Get 'Microsoft Office 2016 at Work for Dummies' ($20 value) FREE for a limited time Get 'Learning Python' ebook ($40 value) FREE "A splendid book that I’m happy to… [Continue Reading]

Google revealed a lot of new features and products during yesterday’s opening two-hour long I/O keynote, including more about Android O, a stripped down OS for cheap phones called Android Go, an improved way to protect users from bad Android apps, and competition for Siri in the form of Google Assistant for iOS. That’s not the end of things though, as Google has another keynote today. This one focuses on augmented and virtual reality which Google is investing in heavily and it should be an interesting watch. The keynote starts at 9.30am PT/12.30pm ET/5.30pm BST and you can watch below.

The WannaCry/WannaCrypt ransomware attack has hit businesses and individuals hard. It has now infected and locked over 300,000 computers across more than 150 countries. It’s the most successful -- and damaging -- cyber attack in years, despite being rather poorly executed. If you’ve wondered how much money such an attack generates we have the answer -- and it’s not as much as you might think, given the scale. SEE ALSO: The WannaCrypt attack -- what we know and how to protect yourself Elliptic is monitoring the current balance of the three Bitcoin addresses known to be associated with the WannaCry… [Continue Reading]

My home office is in the basement, and -- since that’s the place where I need the best, most consistent internet access -- so is my router. That, coupled with thick walls and floors, means Wi-Fi in certain other parts of the house tends to be patchy, unreliable, and weak. I’ve tried several different solutions to address this, including Homeplugs and wireless repeaters, finally settling on ASUS’s RP-AC52 Dual-Band Wireless Range Extender a couple of years ago. But needing to extend my Wi-Fi reach further, I was faced with having to once again look for a solution to my conundrum,… [Continue Reading]

As the world's leading productivity software, Microsoft Office plays an integral role in the daily lives of professionals. Understanding how to quickly and accurately use Office 2016 can improve your productivity, and provide you with all the tools and knowledge you need to be successful. This ebook from Wiley usually retails for $20, but for a limited time BetaNews readers can get it free. The book will help you: Choose your path for learning and explore the fundamental features of Microsoft Office 2016 through task-based exercises supported by online video. Dive into Microsoft Word by creating a document, formatting paragraphs… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft has entered into a five-year partnership with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. As part of this agreement, the company will provide a grant of $5 million -- an unprecedented level of support from a private-sector organization. The partnership goes beyond simply supporting the work of the UN Human Rights Office with money, however. The software giant will also focus on the development and use of advanced technology to better predict, analyze and respond to critical human rights situations. The new partnership is based on two shared ideas: A commitment to ensuring technology plays a… [Continue Reading]

With Russia being blamed for having a hand in fixing both the US and French elections, Russian President Vladimir Putin must be feeling at least a little smug that the WannaCrypt ransomware currently wreaking havoc around the world has nothing to do with his country. Asked about the threat while at an international summit in Beijing, Putin said it was "worrisome" but that the United States, not Russia, was to blame. "As for the source of these threats, Microsoft’s leadership stated this directly, they said the source of the virus was the special services of the United States," Putin answered,… [Continue Reading]

I’ve certainly been highly critical of Microsoft in the past, particularly last year when the company began forcing Windows 10 on to users. But in the past couple of days I have to admit that I’ve been impressed by the software giant’s response to the global WannaCrypt/WannaCry crisis, and not just in patching Windows XP. Issuing a security patch for XP, three years after it stopped supporting it, was absolutely the right thing for Microsoft to do, and it did it without question, explaining how "helping those affected needs to be our most immediate priority." SEE ALSO: Microsoft blames US… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft stopped supporting Windows XP back in 2014, but today it releases one more security update for the ancient OS. The software giant is taking this "highly unusual" step to fight back against the WannaCrypt ransomware cyber attacks that have so far hit nearly 100 countries around the world. And XP is not the only unsupported system receiving this patch. SEE ALSO: NHS hospitals hit by ransomware attack [Update: Now spreading globally] More than 45,000 WannaCrypt attacks have been recorded around the world, including in the UK, US, Russia, Ukraine, India, China, Italy, Spain, and Egypt. The malware was part… [Continue Reading]

It’s been another very busy day for Microsoft today. At Build, the software giant announced that the next big update of its new operating system will be called Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, and now we have a new build of that for Windows Insiders. Build 16193 introduces some of the new features that Terry Myerson announced on stage at Build, including the new Story Remix app and Power Throttling. SEE ALSO: Windows 10 now on 500 million active devices, but growth has slowed dramatically The Story Remix app is described as "an evolution of the Photos app" and makes… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft has been working on its vision of mixed reality for a while. It first showed off its HoloLens headset two years ago, and then debuted a developer edition last August, but sales weren’t great, not least because it came with a $3,000 price tag. Microsoft said at the time that the best, and cheapest, HoloLens VR headsets would not be made by itself, but by third-party hardware developers, and today at Build it announced the first of these headsets, as well as Windows mixed reality motion controllers -- no markers required. If you’ve been excited to try Microsoft's implementation… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft’s Build developer conference got under way yesterday, revealing interesting information, such as Windows 10 is now on 500 million active devices, and the software giant has developed a wearable for Parkinson’s disease suffers. Today’s keynote will be exiting for anyone interested in Windows, as Terry Myerson, Microsoft EVP of the Windows and Devices Group, will be taking to the stage. He's expected to talk about the next version of Windows 10, codenamed Redstone 3, and also reveal more about the company's plans for Mixed Reality. SEE ALSO: Build 2017: Microsoft wants to avoid 1984 Brian Fagioli is at Build… [Continue Reading]

During the Build developer conference keynote in 2015, Microsoft said that it expected over 1 billion Windows 10 devices to be in consumers hands within 2-3 years. Two years have passed since then, and at this year’s Build conference Microsoft announced that Windows 10 is now on 500 million Windows 10 devices, active monthly. That’s an impressive number, even if it’s only half of the original projection. 10 months ago, Microsoft admitted it wasn’t going to hit the 1 billion devices target -- mostly due to Windows 10 Mobile’s utter failure -- and instead said it would track monthly active… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft is kicking off its annual Build developer conference in Seattle today, starting with its opening keynote this morning (a second keynote is happening tomorrow). As it’s a developer conference we’re not expecting to see any new hardware this year, but we will likely have more details on the newly announced Windows 10 S, Cortana skills, mixed reality, and more. Brian Fagioli is at Build and will be reporting on all the big news as it happens there. Microsoft will be streaming both its keynotes live and you can tune into the first one here below. It’s scheduled to start… [Continue Reading]

Windows 10 S, Microsoft’s new education-focused operating system, has a lot of restrictions in place. The main one, of course, being that it only allows you to install apps from the Windows Store. If you want to install programs from outside its ecosystem, you’ll need to upgrade to Windows 10 Pro. Edge is the default browser in Windows 10 S, and Bing the default search engine, and unlike in Windows 10 itself, you can’t change these. That might be something of a deal breaker for any browser-makers interested in bringing their product to Windows 10 S, but that’s not the… [Continue Reading]

Good user experience (UX) design is based on evidence. Qualitative evidence, such as user testing and field research, can only get you so far, however. To get the full picture of how users are engaging with your website or app, you’ll need to use quantitative evidence in the form of analytics. Researching UX: Analytics, from SitePoint, will show you, step by step, how you can use website and app analytics data to inform design choices and definitively improve user experience. By the end of this ebook you’ll have a strong understanding of the important role analytics plays in the UX… [Continue Reading]

It leaked last week, but now Amazon has officially announced its latest Echo family member. The Echo Show is different from Amazon's other Alexa-powered devices thanks to the inclusion of a 7-inch touchscreen. This will allow Alexa to show you things, such as YouTube videos, music lyrics, photos, video from connected security cameras, weather forecasts, and to-do lists, but it will also let you make and receive video calls. SEE ALSO: Harman Kardon's Cortana-powered Amazon Echo rival can play music, control your home, and make Skype calls Amazon’s new product page says this about the Echo Show: Voice responses from… [Continue Reading]

Windows 10 has changed quite a lot since its original release in July 2015. Microsoft has rolled out three major updates to its new OS since then -- the November Update, the Anniversary Update, and most recently, the Creators Update. All three introduced new features and major changes, making it a much better and more rounded OS. But the problem with having different versions of what is essentially the same operating system is that supporting multiple branches isn’t feasible. Microsoft has said previously that it will only update two Current Branch for Business (CBB) versions of Windows 10 at a… [Continue Reading]

Over the weekend, two of Google’s Project Zero security researchers announced that they had discovered a "crazy bad" Windows exploit, describing it as the "worst in recent memory." Project Zero gives firms 90 days to fix such discoveries, but Microsoft swiftly jumped on this problem, and just two days later has come up with a fix. The Project Zero team explains that the problem was found with Microsoft's Malware Protection service, MsMpEng. Vulnerabilities in MsMpEng are among the most severe in Windows, due to the "privilege, accessibility, and ubiquity of the service." The flaw allowed attackers to access mpengine by… [Continue Reading]

Google’s Project Zero identifies bugs and security flaws in commonly used software, and gives firms 90 days to patch them before going public. This is an approach which doesn’t always go down well -- a case in point being when Google recently released details of a Windows bug after Microsoft failed to patch it in time. Now two Project Zero security researchers claim to have found a new critical remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability in Windows which they describe as the "worst in recent memory" and "crazy bad". SEE ALSO: Weird Microsoft Edge bug means the browser prints different numbers… [Continue Reading]

Apple is rumored to be working on a Siri-powered alternative to Amazon Echo/Google Home, and Microsoft isn’t planning on being left out either. Harman Kardon’s Cortana-powered speaker, called Invoke, is set to launch in the Fall. A product page for it did prematurely appear on the web before being pulled, but now Microsoft has made the announcement official. Marcus Ash, Partner Group Program Manager, Cortana says of Invoke: The Harman Kardon Invoke speaker combines the rich, captivating sound that Harman Kardon is known for with your personal digital assistant, Cortana, in an innovative and beautifully designed speaker for the home.… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft this week introduced a new version of Windows 10 aimed primarily at users in education, and designed as an alternative to Google’s Chrome OS. The main difference between Windows 10 S, and Windows 10 Home/Pro is it only runs apps from the Windows Store. You can’t install programs from elsewhere, and this includes Chrome. This mean users can only install Microsoft-verified software which, the software giant says, will result in better security and superior performance. You don’t need to buy or install Windows 10 S to get this feature though, you can simply lock down an existing version of… [Continue Reading]

While many users are still waiting to upgrade Windows 10 to the Creators Update, Microsoft is forging ahead with the next big update, codenamed Redstone 3. We’re back to the regular weekly update schedule, and new features are beginning to appear in the preview builds. In Build 16184 we saw the introduction of the new My People app, and in the latest release, Build 16188, there are even more new features to try out. The biggest additions relate to the PDF Reader in Microsoft Edge. You can now fill in PDF forms within Edge, as well as save and print… [Continue Reading]

The Banana Phone is a device that was clearly conceived during an evening in which far too many alcoholic beverages were consumed. It is, essentially, a phone shaped like a banana. So you can call friends and family members on what appears to be a piece of yellow fruit. It’s an amusing idea made real. But it’s also a device with a big problem. That problem is, it can’t make calls on its own. Instead you need to pair it with an existing smartphone via Bluetooth. In other words, if you want to use the Banana Phone you’ll need to… [Continue Reading]

It seems that the Raspberry Pi Foundation can do no wrong. Every new Pi it announces goes on to be a huge hit. The most recent model, the Wi-Fi enabled Pi Zero W, is a great example of this. Launched just nine weeks ago, the Foundation announces that it has now shipped the 250,000th unit, and it is making the tiny board easier to buy by adding 13 additional distributors. Mike Buffham, Director of Product Management, says: This significantly extends the reach we can achieve with Pi Zero and Pi Zero W across the globe. These new distributors serve Australia and… [Continue Reading]

Let’s be honest, the best thing about Bing isn’t its search results, but rather the gorgeous images that appear on the homepage every day. If you enjoy these photos, but would like to know more about them -- such as where a picture was taken, and what it actually is -- the good news is Microsoft is now providing a full story for each new image, and you just need to scroll down to see it. SEE ALSO: How to activate YouTube's new Dark Theme and more Microsoft explains: In the Image of the Day section, you’ll find the expanded… [Continue Reading]

Three weeks ago, we explained how you could enable YouTube’s hidden Dark Mode. The process then only worked in Chrome and required a little tinkering. Google has now made it possible for anyone to easily switch to the dark side, and that’s not all. There’s now a whole new Material Design look for the site which Google says will make YouTube "easier and more fun to use." To access the new version of the site, all you have to do is go to youtube.com/new, and click the Try It Now button. What you’ll get, according to Google, is: Clean design:… [Continue Reading]

If you decide to buy Microsoft’s new Surface Laptop for $999, but would prefer to have Windows 10 Pro on it, rather than the slightly crippled Windows 10 S, the good news is you can upgrade to that version. The not so good news is it will cost you $49 to do so. Well, it will cost some buyers anyway, others will get the upgrade for free, if they act quickly. The $49 upgrade doesn’t just apply to buyers of the Surface Laptop, that’s what it will cost to upgrade any Windows 10 S device if you’re not involved in… [Continue Reading]

Facebook has been introducing games to its Messenger chat app for a while. It started with simple hidden gems like Chess, Basketball, and Soccer, and then added arcade games to the mix. Today, the social networking giant begins to roll out Instant Games on Messenger globally, and for all users on both iOS and Android. But that’s not all. In addition, Facebook is also launching the new features that it previewed to developers at its annual F8 conference, which include advanced gameplay elements like turn based games, leaderboards and tournaments, and gamebots. While there are a lot of games to… [Continue Reading]

Today is a big day for Microsoft. At an event in New York City, the company promises we’ll "Learn what’s next" for Microsoft and education, even though thanks to leaks we already have a pretty good idea of what to expect. The software giant is set to take on Google in the educational market with a new Surface laptop, and a new version of Windows 10 that only runs apps from the Windows Store, called Windows 10 S. SEE ALSO: On the eve of Microsoft's education event, the Surface Laptop running Windows 10 S leaks While some people are anticipating… [Continue Reading]

When you think of Dubai, it’s likely several things spring to mind -- it’s home to the world’s tallest building (Burj Khalifa), and the amazing Palm Jumeirah artificial archipelago. It also has a less than stellar record when it comes to human rights. You probably don’t give too much thought to the typefaces used there, but Dubai is hoping to change that as it has worked with Microsoft to create a unique font especially for the city. Available in both Latin and Arabic script, and in 23 languages, the Dubai Font was commissioned by Crown Prince Hamdan bin Mohammed al-Maktoum… [Continue Reading]

Windows 10 usage share has been suffering lately. According to NetMarketShare, in February, the new operating system lost share, and in March its gains were minimal. With Windows 10 Creators Update rolling out in April -- even if Microsoft warns users against manually updating to it -- we were always likely to see the OS returning to growth, as users spend more time on it, finding out what’s new. Windows 10 started April on 25.36 percent, and ended it on 26.28 percent, a gain of 0.92 percentage points. In contrast, over the same period, Windows 7 went from 49.42 percent… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft intended to include its new My People sharing and communication app in the Windows 10 Creators Update, but had to postpone it because it simply stood no chance of being ready in time. The revised plan is to include it in the next major Windows 10 update, codenamed Redstone 3, and if you want to take it for a spin, the good news is it is now possible to do so as it makes an appearance in the latest Windows Insider release, Build 16184. SEE ALSO: Microsoft recommends you don't install the Windows 10 Creators Update To use it,… [Continue Reading]

Innovation & Tech Today is an award-winning business and science title which features fascinating content, interviews, and product reviews from across a variety of sectors including: STEM, Home Automation, Wearables, Energy and Transportation, Medical Tech, Business Innovations, Gaming and Entertainment, and Sustainability. Each quarterly issue has over 160 pages, perfectly bound, with rich and enticing photography. Exclusive interviews and stories with names like, Scarlett Johansson, Kevin Hart, Akon, Dr. Michio Kaku, Bill Nye, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Mark Cuban, and more. Go behind the scenes of innovation, must have gifts, and much more. Take advantage of this limited offer and you'll receive an… [Continue Reading]

Computer security touches every part of our daily lives, from our computers and connected devices, to the wireless signals around us, and breaches often have real and immediate financial, privacy, and safety consequences. Written for professionals and college students (but accessible to all), the Computer Security Handbook from Wiley provides comprehensive best guidance about how to minimize hacking, fraud, human error, the effects of natural disasters, and more. It usually retails for $130, but BetaNews readers can get it entirely for free. The ebook, contains advice from top professionals working in the real world about how to minimize the possibility… [Continue Reading]

Windows 10 Creators Update began to roll out to compatible PCs and tablets two weeks ago, and Microsoft announced its arrival with plenty of blog posts and new videos. Today, the Creators Update for Windows 10 Mobile formally begins its roll out, with that announcement made in a simple tweet. It comes as no surprise that the arrival of such a noteworthy update should receive so little fanfare, seeing as Windows 10 Mobile doesn't have much of a market share as it is, and the Creators Update only works on 13 phones. SEE ALSO: Microsoft recommends you don't install the… [Continue Reading]

Before Microsoft began the Windows 10 Creators Update rollout two weeks ago, I wrote about why users shouldn’t rush to install it. Today, in a post on the Windows blog, John Cable, Director of Program Management, Windows Servicing and Delivery, says much the same thing, and recommends that users don’t manually install the Creators Update, but rather wait until it’s automatically offered. But why? Because the update is causing problems for users. The first phase of the rollout targeted newer devices -- those most likely to be able to run the OS update with the minimum of problems -- and… [Continue Reading]

If you want to free up disk space in Windows 10, you can use the Disk Cleanup tool, or a third-party program like CCleaner. However, the Windows 10 Creators Update offers a third choice, which is to go through the Settings app. You can free up space, and also have the operating system automatically remove junk for you. SEE ALSO: Free up over 20GB of hard drive space in Windows 10 by cleaning up after the Creators Update To begin, open Settings, and select System. Click on Storage. Click a drive (if you have more than one) and it will… [Continue Reading]

Sketch is fast becoming a favorite tool of modern web and UI designers. It’s a smart vector-based design app with a simple, clean, and intuitive interface. It has a range of powerful features, such as easy-to-use grids and layer alignment, unlimited artboards, and granular export. It’s easy to see why so many top designers are now adding Sketch to their toolboxes! SEE ALSO: Get 'Designing UX: Prototyping' ebook ($30 value) FREE for a limited time Jump Start Sketch, from SitePoint, provides a rapid and practical introduction to using Sketch for web and mobile UI design. If you’re currently relying on… [Continue Reading]

If you’re involved in user experience design -- be it as a web designer or a software developer -- you’ll know that identifying and fixing problems is easier and cheaper if it can be done earlier in the process of design and build. As work on a project progresses, so the effort involved in making any changes increases. If you can test out early ideas, via prototyping, then you can quickly identify whether those ideas are going to work. This great ebook from SitePoint -- which usually retails for $30 -- will tell you everything you need to know about… [Continue Reading]

Change can be good, but not always. While Windows 10 is a great operating system, many people would prefer to stay with Windows 7. Stick with what they know and like. Microsoft now views Windows as a service, which means Windows 10 gets updated and changed a couple of times a year. In the latest iteration of the new operating system, Microsoft replaced the old Windows Defender with a new Universal Windows Platform (UWP) app version. But if you don’t like this change, the good news is it’s easy to restore the classic version of Windows Defender. SEE ALSO: Microsoft… [Continue Reading]

In addition to rolling out new Windows 10 Insider Preview builds for both PC and Mobile, Microsoft has also launched a new audio podcast. Explaining the move, Windows Insider chief Dona Sarkar says: "Many of you have been asking for our team to share more about our future plans about the overall Windows Insider community. We want to be inclusive of all consumption styles, so we thought we would experiment with an audio podcast." The notes for the 17 minute episode (which was actually published on March 28, but not publicized until now) say: On this inaugural episode, host Thomas… [Continue Reading]

It’s only been five days since Microsoft rolled out a new Windows 10 Insider Preview build to the Fast ring, but hot on the heels of Build 16176 comes Build 16179, the third release for the new Redstone 3 branch. That’s not the only new build however, as there’s also a new one for Window 10 Mobile, Build 15205. Build 16179 for PC introduces automatic checkpoints in Hyper-V, something developers in particular will appreciate. You can also experience the new Power Throttling feature, if you have a compatible CPU. Other changes, improvements, and fixes for PC Build 16179 include: Fixed… [Continue Reading]

The Windows 10 Creators Update is rolling out to users now, but Microsoft is working hard on the next big update to its operating system, and has already pushed out two new builds for Redstone 3 to Windows Insiders on the Fast ring. The latest of these builds, 16176, includes a feature that Microsoft is calling "Power Throttling" (working name), which is designed to run "background work in a power-efficient manner", improving battery life significantly. SEE ALSO: Microsoft releases Windows 10 Redstone 3 Build 16176 to the Fast ring Bill Karagounis, Director of Program Management, Windows Insider Progr